


wave after wave

by tealmagenta



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Lifeguards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 86,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealmagenta/pseuds/tealmagenta
Summary: Nini Roberts meets the new lifeguard in town, Ricky Bowen.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 21
Kudos: 104





	1. winter

_Welcome back to Kauai, Nic Roberts._

The surfing community in Kauai was throwing a celebratory party for Nicholas Roberts, who had just returned from a successful surfing competition season. Lydgate beach was well-decorated with fairy lights, open bonfires; tables were set up with cheap alcohol, soda, red cups and light sticks. These parties had been the talk of the town ever since Nic made a name for himself in pro-surfing, but Nini never attended any of them. Nic and Nate weren’t your typical protective older brothers; rather, they loved including Nini in whatever they were up to. Their mom had always encouraged them to do things together, and it stuck. Nini loved her brothers and would follow them anywhere, but parties weren’t really her scene, she preferred to be stuck in the depths of their comfy sofa reading books on her kindle. After Nate’s relentless nagging for her to _live a little_ , she made a promise that she’d start attending when she was 18. She never imagined that he’d remember her promise, and never regretted that promise more than the very night of the party. Nate was so excited for her to join them at the party that he’d already picked out an outfit for her.

So, unlike most girls who’d fret over what to wear to their first party, Nini threw on the cute yellow top, blue jean shorts that Nate picked out and added a beige knit cardigan for the final touch, knowing full well that the beach was rather windy on a winter night. She put on some mascara lightly and filled in her brows, but left her hair looking natural. “Lookin’ good, Nins. Excited for your first party?” Nate asked as he dragged her to his truck. Nini merely shrugged, she was kind of dreading the night ahead, but also really excited to see Nic for the first time since last winter. 

As Nate pulled into the parking lot at Lydgate, he ruffled her hair lightly and said, “Just say the word and Nic and I will take you home, okay?” Nini nodded silently as she fiddled with her cardigan. She wanted to go home already, but she also wanted her brothers to enjoy this night without worrying about her. They both got out of the car and headed toward the beach, which was already crowded with people. “Hey Nate, hey Nini,” People swarmed around them, bumping fists with the oldest Roberts son. Nini smiled and waved, acknowledging the familiar faces as she followed her brother to the table near the bonfire. Upon spotting Nic in the crowd, Nini broke into a run, manoeuvring through the crowd surrounding him, and pulled him into a big hug. Nate followed behind closely, enveloping the two in a group hug. 

“First party, Nins,” Nic ruffled her hair lightly, like Nate did. Nini rolled her eyes and slapped his shoulder. “Really, that’s the first thing you say after you haven’t seen your baby sister for a whole year?” 

“I’m just glad you’re here,” Nic smiled and ruffled her hair again. He introduced her to his friends, most whom she already knew because Nic always invited them over when they were younger. One of them, however, was an unfamiliar face. “This is Ricky, and he just moved here from Oahu a few weeks ago.” Nini stuck her hand out for a handshake, and was met with his warm hand. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he took in the view of Nini Roberts. She was a really small girl, compared to her brothers but he noticed she was pretty confident for someone who was at their first party. The way she leaned into her brothers comfortably was really cute, and he liked the sound of her laugh. 

The group slowly started to dissipate as Nate went off to find his fiancee and other people began to approach Nic to talk to him about his competition season. Nini headed further to sit on a log around the bonfire, a source of heat in the chilly night. A few people chatted her up, she felt a little uncomfortable that they knew she was, but still managed small talk. She didn’t last long and eventually pulled away from the crowd, farther into the beach, while making sure that she was still within eyeshot from her brothers. 

She settled on the sand, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her body, staring out into the waves, listening to them crash. 

“Hey Nini, what are you doing out here?” She turned her head around to the source of the voice, finding that Ricky was standing behind her. 

“Ricky,” she smiled at him, “Parties just aren’t my scene, you know…” He shifted to take a seat on the sand next to her. “What are you doing here?” She threw the question back at him. 

“My co-worker invited me. I’m not sure if you know him, his name is EJ. But, he ditched me to talk to a girl and I saw you here, one of the only people I remember from all the introductions,” Ricky rubbed his neck sheepishly, concealing the fact that he remembered her because she was the prettiest girl he’d seen that night. 

“EJ is the biggest flirt on the island, apparently there’s not a party he shows up to without a girl in his bed after.” Nini laughed at the thought of EJ ditching every friend he’s invited to go to parties with him. “If you work with EJ that means you’re a lifeguard too?” No wonder his shoulders were broad, he had a rather sexy tan and looked strong. Definitely caught Nini’s eye. 

“Yeap, and I’ve been a lifeguard for almost two years now, since I graduated high school. I love the water too much to work elsewhere.” Ricky started playing with the sand around them, “Do you surf too, like Nic?” 

“Yea, well, he’s my older brother and what this little sister does best is she follows her brothers around everywhere they go,” Nini giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I’m not at the competitive level though, I just love surfing and I love the water.” The two of them fell into easy conversation, talking about high school and jobs; they talked about how Nini was in her last semester of high school, and how Ricky was adjusting to life in Kauai. They found out that they both loved music too, Nini with the ukulele and piano and Ricky with the guitar. Along the way, it was also revealed that _Nini_ was just a nickname her brothers had called her since she was a baby and that Ricky’s parents never called him _Richard_ even though it was his real name. 

Nini found herself having a lot more fun at this party than she anticipated. The pair found their way back to the main crowd near the bonfire and the music had slowed down into a slow dance, feelsy sort of genre. She was sitting on one of the beach chairs situated in the corner humming along to the song, while Ricky was on the sand, leaning against the chair. The buzz of her phone interrupted the peace between them and her screen lit up brightly. 

**_Nate_ **

_Gotta send Emma back soon, do wanna go back with me or_

_should I come back and get you later?_

“Did you ride with EJ or did you drive on your own?” Nini dropped a sudden question at Ricky, placing her hand atop of his. “I drove EJ here actually, but I doubt I’ll need to send him back since he could just call a chauffeur.” Ricky was confused but still answered her question, flipping his hand to hold and caress hers.

“Where in Kauai do you live again?” Nini asked again. “I live on the edge of the West Shore. Nini, what is going on?” She giggled at Ricky’s face. It was funny how he was still answering, despite the growing frown of confusion on his face. “I live on the West Shore too, do you mind sending me home later? Nate is leaving now, but I kinda wanna stay for a little longer…” Her gaze dropped to her lap, unable to meet Ricky’s. Of course she was shy, she just admitted that she wanted to spend more time with him. The frown on Ricky’s face was replaced with a soft smile, letting go of her hand to hold her chin, shifting her glance back to his face, “Of course I’ll drive you home, even if you stayed on the North Shore.” 

“Don’t be silly. The North Shore is like an hour and a half away from the West, you’d be driving all night long.” Nini flicked his forehead playfully.

**_Nini_ **

_Don’t worry about me, I’m getting a ride from Ricky, see you later._

  
  


They continued to talk, as Ricky’s continued to hold her hand. “So, I was surfing one day and then-” Nini’s story was rudely interrupted by the alarm ringing from Ricky’s phone. He had set it before the party as a precaution, but he didn’t think he would have stayed till it rang. “Sorry, Nins, I got a shift tomorrow that starts at 9 so we gotta head back now.” He rose to his feet, reaching out his hands to help her up. Nini took his hands and let him pull her up, “No worries, you should get enough sleep for tomorrow, so that you can be at your best to save lives, right?” He smirked at her, letting go of her right hand, pulling her toward his car with the other. Nini untangled her hand from his, saying goodbye to Nic before letting him take her hand again.

The car ride back home felt way shorter than the ride to the party, for both of them. They jammed along to the lo-fi beats on his playlist and Ricky finally asked for her phone number, which she more than willingly typed into his phone. His four-wheel drive had rolled up in front of the Roberts home much sooner than they’d liked, “I guess this is me…” Nini looked into his eyes before going in to kiss him on the cheek. Ricky’s fingers traced her jawline before inching in for a sweet peck on the lips. “Good night, Nini.” Nini headed out of his car, not before hollering a “Call me Nina,” and retreated into the Robert household. 

After the seven minute drive back home, Ricky checked his phone to see that he received a text from Nini. 

  
  


**_Nina_ **

_Thank you for the ride back and the time tonight, sleep tight!_

**_Ricky_ **

_Hope to see you soon. Sleep tight, Nina!_

  
  


* * *

  
  


The week after Nic’s party was the last week of winter break. Nini wanted to maximise the freedom she had from school work, but Gina was away with her rich lil family on vacation on the mainland and Kourtney was at her grandmother’s house in Oahu. She and Ricky had been texting as much as it was humanly possible to, before and after his shifts and during his breaks. In order to free Nini of her pathetic social life, they met up almost every night at his rental apartment or the Roberts house, spending most of their time getting to know each other, and jamming to whatever song came to mind. Each time they parted, Ricky would kiss her goodbye, the intensity of their kisses growing as the week went by. 

Friday night, however, was different. The Roberts had a family tradition of game night every first friday of the month; while it was a Roberts family event, it was not exclusive to the Roberts, any of their friends were welcome to join. Nate’s fiancee, Emma, had joined them since she and Nate were dating and it would be the fourth time that Sarah, Nic’s girlfriend, joined in the fun. The thought of inviting Ricky along for game night was tempting; since Sarah joined in for game night, Nini had been feeling like a seventh wheel in the equation of 2 young couples and her parents. Of course, no one would have left her out, she was the beloved youngest Roberts that no one would forget. However, it wouldn’t diminish the slight twinge she’d feel each time they gathered. Inviting Ricky for Roberts’ game night felt a little too intimate and personal still, though the thought crossed her mind more than a few times. 

Unfortunately, it was no longer an option when Nic, who was waiting on the porch for her to return from Ricky’s, personally extended the invitation to Ricky on Thursday night. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Ni can stop being the seventh wheel and we’ll finally find out who’s better at spicy uno.” Ricky had graciously accepted the invitation, not noticing that a blush had risen to Nini’s cheeks. He’d taken a step back later on, realising that she might not have wanted him there, which she denied, waving her arms frantically to convince him. She just hoped it would be the right step in the right direction. They didn’t get their goodbye kiss that night, neither willing to be intimate in front of the older Roberts. 

Friday game night was on. 

Their shoulders and knees had never rubbed into each others’ that much before, but neither of them minded the contact as they shared a hand of cards in the game of _Exploding Kittens_. She would lean into him as they shared strategies in hushed whispers, careful that their competitors wouldn’t hear their secret plans. In the end, they ran out of cards and drew an imploding kitten; it did not go well for them. 

“Nini, would you please be an angel and get more lemonade from the fridge?” Nic plastered a sweet smile on his face. The youngest Roberts rolled her eyes at her brother, and refused to budge from her place on the floor. Sarah, being the sweet girl she was, flicked him in the forehead, “Don’t bully your sister, Nicky, get it yourself.” Nic shook his head adamantly and stuck his hand out for a game of rock, paper, scissors — truly living up to game night. “Oh, you’re on, _Nicky._ ” Nini teasingly mocked the nickname her brother’s girlfriend had for him, amusing Ricky at the sight of her competitiveness. To no one’s surprise, Nini lost again, even in the best of three, just like she did with the card game. 

She groaned, accepting her fate and stood to the feet, “Wanna come with?” Ricky looked up her pretty legs, and body as he lifted his head to look her in the eyes, simply shrugging, letting her pull him to his feet. As soon as they were in the kitchen, out of sight of the rest who were in the living room, Nini wrapped her arms around Ricky’s neck, her lips meeting his. His arms gripped her waist tightly, thumbs caressing the small of her back. She pulled away after a short while, not wanting to get caught, but he kept his arms around her waist as she cupped his cheeks with her small hands. 

“Making up for yesterday’s goodbye kiss?” Ricky pecked her lips again. She smiled shyly, and buried her face into his chest, “I just like kissing you.”

Ricky laughed at her shyness, “I like kissing you too, Nina,” and leaned in to steal another. 

“Okay, we gotta get that lemonade for Nic,” Nini turned to open the fridge for a full jug of lemonade. Ricky pressed a kiss in her hair before they headed back to the living room.

Over in the living room, Nate almost squealed like a girl as he leaned into Emma’s shoulder, “They are so cute.” The older four had been watching Ricky and Nini’s interactions the entire night and it was safe to say that they knew that they liked each other, and were more than supportive if they were to pursue a relationship, despite them knowing each other for only one week. “I’ve never seen you this supportive of Nini in a relationship,” Emma teased her fiance. Nic smiled, “Ricky’s a good guy, he’s cleared with us every night that they hang out and he hasn’t talked to me or Nate about our careers yet — it’s a good sign.” A frown of confusion covered Sarah’s face and Emma kindly explained, “So far, every boy that expressed interest in Nini has tried to sneak past them or talk them up. Basically, all the boys except this one have failed to respect Nini’s love for her brothers.” 

Everyone in the Roberts house that night would agree on one thing, Nini and Ricky had something special. 


	2. spring

“Waterbug, wanna go down to the South Shore to catch a wave?” Nini groaned from under her covers. Nini was having a hard time adjusting back to school, she’d been sleeping later than usual, trying to get her project done and could never bring herself to wake up before nine. “What the heck, Nate, it’s only eight in the morning, I can’t do this…” Her voice muffled because she had pulled her pillow over her head to dampen the loudness of Nate’s voice. “Of course you can Nins, Ricky’s on shift at Poipu today,” Nate teased, knowing that was what would get her out of bed. True enough, she willed herself to sit up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Go get ready, waterbug, I’ll pick something out for you.” Nate shoved her into the bathroom and picked out a yellow bikini and light blue romper to wear over. Nini never needed to call her girl friends to ask them what she should wear because Nate would always choose the most flattering clothes for her. Before Nini changed out of her pajamas, she took a glance at her phone and just as she had hoped, there was a message from Ricky. 

**_Ricky_ **

_ Morning, Nina, hope you had a good rest last night, can’t wait  _

_ to hang out at the Shipwreck tonight _

It was a week after game night, Nini was back in school and her conversations with Ricky continued despite their busyness of school and work. They never failed to facetime good nights and text good mornings. They hadn’t managed to hang out yet, Nini was swamped with incoming assignments. But, Ricky was understanding of her struggle to juggle school work and helping out at her brother’s business. Two days ago, he had asked her if she wanted to hang out at the Shipwreck bar on Saturday night and of course, she told him that she’d love to hang out with him, it was a weekend after all.

**_Nina_ **

_ Morning, lifeguard! Stay safe out there, can’t wait to see you either _

  
  


Nic and Nate were loading the truck with their surfboards, while Nini stumbled into the kitchen to put together a sandwich for Ricky. She figured that if she was going to surprise him on duty, she couldn’t show up empty-handed. After all, she was out to impress. Ricky had impressed her but remembering that she wanted to be called Nina, which is a name that no one really addressed her by anymore. She expected that any guys who befriended her just wanted to get closer with her brothers, but she couldn’t be more wrong. This was a time to return the favour to him, and show him that he was special to her. 

Upon their arrival at Poipu beach, Nini hopped out from Nate’s truck with a bunch of bananas and the sandwich in hand and her small bag around her shoulders. The bananas were for the rest of her lifeguard friends, whom she acquired last year after visiting Poipu beach almost everyday the entire summer. Heading over to the lifeguard tower, she immediately spotted EJ and Big Red. Nini ran up the stairs leading the tower as quickly as her not-so-long legs could take her and hugged the guys. “Guys, I brought something for y’all to snack on shift,” Nini excitedly handed the bananas over to Red, only to realise a third guy had just came out of the tower to join them outside; a curly-haired guy donned in the yellow lifeguard singlet and red shorts. His sunglasses blocked her view of his eyes but she recognised his silhouette.  _ Ricky.  _

Nini moved over so that she was right next to him, “Hey Ricky.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek and much to her dismay, he responded curtly with a “Nina”, shuffling away from her. He was busy scanning the beach for any sign of distress, “You know that visitors aren’t allowed on the tower right?” 

A crinkle appeared on her face, “I’m not just a visitor, Ricky. And, I brought you a sandwich, you could have it for your break later.” He took it from her, muttering a “thanks” but still did not spare her a glance, his eyes continually fixed toward the beach. Despite her disappointment, she tried to hold his elbow to get his attention; but, was even more disappointed than before when he shrugged her hand off his arm, still looking out into the sea. Nini was confused, up till this morning he still indicated interest, saying that he couldn’t wait to hang out with her but right then, as she appeared before him after one week of not seeing each other, he was suddenly cold and couldn’t be bothered with her. Nini decided then to back off and head in the water to clear her head. Nic noticed the shift in his little sister’s mood, and ruffled her hair to comfort her. She sighed in response, dragging her surfboard into the water as quickly as she could.

It was an angry surf. Nini paddled furiously, snapped the lids of waves relentlessly; in all honesty, she was killing the game. Ricky watched her from the lifeguard tower, his heart clenched every now and then. She looked so attractive in yellow, and in that yellow bikini on that blue board, she never looked more in her element. This was the first time Ricky saw her in the water, and  _ gosh _ , was she beautiful. He was not expecting her to show up at this time, while he was on duty. He knew that she didn’t get much sleep last week and figured that the earliest she would go surfing would be around 11, which was during his lunch break. He never thought that he would have to show this side of himself to her this soon, and he didn’t even prepare for it. Ricky knew that she was disappointed in him, and maybe even hurt by his actions. He wondered if he would get the chance to explain himself, or see her later that night. He shook the thoughts away and tried to focus on the water again.  _ I’m on duty, I need to focus. _

As Nini got out of the sea to dry off, she took a final glance at the lifeguard tower, only to be met with the sight of Ricky staring far out into the ocean, again. She shook her head in disappointment and fought the tears that came to her eyes. She really thought that he would be different. Nini quickly dried her hair and slipped on her romper, following her brothers back to the truck. She couldn’t wait to get back home, lie on her bed and cry into her pillow. 

It was two in the afternoon when she finally woke up to several texts from Ricky. 

  
  


**_Ricky_ **

_ Hey Nina, sorry about this morning, you caught me at a bad time.  _

_ Can we still meet up tonight?  _

_ I know I owe you an explanation, would really want to meet tonight to talk _

_ I get that you might not want to talk to me but I’ll be at the bar waiting till you show up. _

_ Please come _

  
  


“Hey bug, you’re finally up,” Nic was sitting across her in the hammock set up in her room, “What happened with Ricky just now?” She sat up, leaning against the headboard, formulating an answer in her brain. Her brothers could see through her, they detected every lie since she started lying; there was kind of no use in trying to cover up the truth. “Do you think he likes me?” 

Nic raised his eyebrows, “Nins, why is that even a question?” He moved out of the hammock and onto the edge of her bed, “I’ll tell you, I met Ricky in Oahu a few months ago when I was there for my season and he always seemed on edge or upset about something. But, last week during game night, that was the first time I saw him chilled out, and he even smiled. And, why was that? Because of you, Nins, you have that effect on him.” 

“Well, I clearly didn’t have that effect on him today. He was freakin’ ignoring me this morning, wouldn’t look me in the eye,” Nini sulked, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. “Are you going to let him explain himself before you decide to ghost him and maybe regret it for the rest of your life, or are you going to let this destroy your something special?” Nic asked her. 

Nini protested, crossing her arms over her chest, “Nic, he already destroyed it. And, what makes you so such that it was something special?”

“Nini, He likes you, you like him, we all saw it. Now, stop throwing a tantrum and go fight for your something special.” Nic nudged her, but she stayed put, sitting against the headboard of her bed. 

That night, she tossed and turned in her bed, unable to shake the thoughts of Ricky that flooded her mind. He rejected her,  _ was he playing her _ ?  _ Did he think he could just play hot and cold with her? _ Nini pulled her pillow over her head, counting sheep to get her mind off the image of him sitting alone, waiting for her.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The next day, Nini stormed out of her room bright and early. However, not looking as bright and cheery as the sun in the sky — she didn’t get much sleep that night, her brain unable to stop running after what happened between Ricky and her. The fact that he had dropped a series of texts last night and this morning was not helping in distracting her either. 

**_Ricky_ **

_ Hey Nina, I’m waiting at by the bar, hope to see you soon _

_ Nins, I promised I’ll be here till you arrive, I intend to keep that promise _

_ Morning Nina, hope you slept well last night, missed you _

_ If you’re keen, you could drop by during lunch break at 11.30 and I would explain myself _

  
  


Nini was not about to give in to Ricky, even though she felt a slight bit guilty for making him stay the entire night, a night before duty the next day, for a no-show; she was also touched that he continued to call her Nina, as she liked him to. But she could already hear Kourtney going off about him to her, about how he was a no-show for her too, and no boys deserved a girl pining after them, Nini deserved better. Deciding to redirect her confused mind, she rode with her mom to their surfboard board, to stocktake in the warehouse, a task that she knew would grant her the distraction she needed.

This cycle went on from Sunday to Wednesday: Ricky continued to text her before and after his shift and Nini was not being able to sleep well, despite having to go to school. By midweek, she looked like a wreck and Nate caught on to it. 

“Nins, what is going on with you?” He sat her down after dinner one day, confronting her about the mess she looked like. 

“What?” She tried to avoid the question, pretending to not know what he was referring to; even though she knew that Nate would see through her act. 

“Nini, you never wake up early, you haven’t gone surfing in a week and the bags under your eyes are worse than finals period. And, don’t you try to lie to me, young lady, Nic told me everything.” 

Nini sighed, “Well, if you know everything then why are you even asking?” It was true, Nate could see through her, he really didn’t need to ask. “Why does that boy have such an effect on you?” This was something Nate couldn’t figure out, Ricky wasn’t the first guy that Nini had interest in, and it was not the first time she got rejected either (though he knew it wouldn’t have hurt less another time). There was something about Ricky that she was drawn to, else she wouldn’t have turned into this mess. 

“I don’t know either, Nate. Maybe it’s because he’s really damn handsome, or that he’s playing hot and cold and I can’t figure him out?” There was a question in Nini’s voice, she knew it was because she was unsure herself. “Maybe I felt like we connected on an emotional level, more than I have with anyone else. He’s new in town, he didn't see me as the baby Roberts, sister of Nicholas and Nathan Roberts — I could be whoever I really was with him, without fear of being judged or damaging your reputation.”  _ I get to be called Nina, and I get to be Nina, not Nini — no one on this island even calls me or remembers me by that name anymore. _

Nate was silent when he heard what she said. The only secret Nini ever kept from her brothers was out. As much as she loved them and how involved they were in her life (and vice versa), she was tired of living in their shadow. She had to put on a smile on her face, be nice to everyone and let everyone call her  _ Nini _ because Nic and Nate liked that nickname and introduced her as such. Growing up, she’d gotten used to the name and was really proud to be her brothers’ little sister, but since her last year of high school, with the talk about colleges or futures, Nini began to start getting compared with her brothers and their successful careers, people began sucking up to her just so they could talk to Nic or Nate. She felt like she wasn’t her own person anymore, and she hated that feeling. Ricky was a fresh face in town, he didn’t know her or her brothers well enough, he didn’t watch them grow up; he didn’t judge her for not being a pro-surfer nor a businesswoman, nor was he talking with her to get closer to her brothers. 

The only boy who had accepted her for the real Nina, threw all of it back to her. This was why she was in shambles. 

Nate left her alone after that conversation, saying that he would go help their mom hang out the laundry. Once Nini had admitted these things to herself, she slept a lot better. Anger turned to sadness and disappointment of the loss of a friendship she really wanted. She suddenly felt like she needed to know if there was any fixing their friendship.

Friday came and she looked even more of a giant mess, this time, her eyes were puffy and red, signs of crying herself to sleep, called in sick the previous day. The pressing question of  _ Why? _ clouded her thoughts. Gina and Kourtney were unable to contact her for the whole of Thursday, now seeing the state she was in, they were done with  _ giving her space _ . Their cars pulled up in front of Nini’s home and pushed her up to her room for an interrogation.

“Nini Roberts, is this about that Poipu lifeguard?” Gina sat next to her on the bed, while Kourtney was in the hammock opposite her. 

“I swear, I’m gonna slap the heck out of that guy and-” Kourtney was about to destroy the patriarchy but Nini interrupted her, “It’s just me, I can’t bring myself to talk to him even though I want to so badly.”

“I can’t help but wonder what I did wrong to make him so cold-” Nini was interrupted by Kourtney, “Girl, if he doesn’t know how to appreciate you, it’s his fault, not yours. And I will slap-” Gina shushed Kourtney, cutting her off, “Nins, let him explain himself. If he’s a petty bitch about it then tell me and Kourtney and we’ll personally castrate him so that he’ll never harm the female population again.” Nini laughed at her threat but enveloped Gina in a hug, thankful for the support and advice her friend had given her. “If this is what you want, maybe you gotta fight for it, Nini.”

Gina had personally driven her to Poipu beach after their interrogation, around 4.30pm when Ricky’s shift was ending. Nini slid out of the passenger seat and headed for the lifeguard tower, a large bag full of coconut water in hand. She felt like she had to make it up to Red and EJ for her absence in the past two weeks.  _ Nah, _ it was just an extra reason for her to not to up and leave out of fear. 

Ricky was walking along the beach, a serious demeanor laced in his expression. Nini figured she would drop the coconut water off later, to give her a reason to not chicken out. “Hey Ricky,” she tried, as she finally stood next to him. His gaze was fixed to the ocean but his facial features and voice softened in his response, “Nina.” 

“Why’d you blow me off?” She wasted no time in demanding an explanation.

Ricky let out a sigh, “Nina, this is not a good time.” She was enraged, again; the whole week, he’d asked her for a chance to explain himself, texting her every morning and evening. And, now that she was giving him a chance, he blew her off again, citing an excuse of “bad timing”. She was ready to unload her rage on him, until she realised he wasn’t even standing next to her anymore. She saw Red was sprinting past her toward the ocean for a rescue, and then turned to see Ricky already in the water, swimming toward the child who was struggling. She sighed in defeat,  _ oh well, he was saved by great timing _ , and headed toward the lifeguard tower to give the coconut water to EJ. He welcomed her with a smile, “Nini, haven’t seen you in two weeks, how have you been?”

She gave him a weak smile, “I haven’t been feeling the best but I’m here to make up for my absence with these,” Nini waved the bag weakly, the weight of the many bottles of coconut water finally having an effect on her. 

“Aw, Nins, you’re still the most thoughtful girl on this island. Also, I’m throwing a party tomorrow at my house. You gotta come, and please bring Gina with you.” Nini didn’t know if she should have felt sad or happy that EJ didn’t notice her forced smile. 

“Now that I’d promised everyone I’d go for parties after I’d turned 18, there is no way Gina is going to let me off the hook anymore. So, I’ll be there.” She resigned to her fate, once again regretting the promise she’d made. EJ grinned and fist-bumped her excitedly, he couldn’t wait for Saturday. 

  
  


* * *

Gina was in Nini’s room, picking out an outfit for EJ’s party. Usually, Nate would have put something together for her, and he actually did — until Gina insisted on styling her for her “first” party, seemingly discounting the previous party she attended because Gina wasn’t there to witness it. In the end, to no one’s surprise, they settled with the outfit that Nate chose for her. It made her feel confident; she was secretly comforted that Nate still loved her after her outburst, even though they hadn’t been talking like they usually did. 

The two of them walked up confidently to EJ’s porch, Nini’s eyes flitting through the crowd. Gina dragged the party newbie to the kitchen and mixed a drink for her. “Nini, let’s drink. To your first party ever,” She put a red cup in Nini’s hand, clinked it with hers and coached the drink down Nini’s throat. Nini’s face crinkled up at the foul taste of vodka mixed with crappy soda, she was more of a wine and fruit juice type of girl. 

“Gina!” EJ wrapped his arms around Gina’s waist to press a kiss to her neck, and her arm reached back to cradle his face. Right behind EJ was Ricky, whose eyes were fixed on Nini who cringed at their display of affection, backing away from the pair to let them get their game on. The small girl turned toward him, her tongue grazing her lips as she approached him. In that moment, she felt the effect of the alcohol as blood rushed to her face. She was hyper aware of how hot Ricky looked, and she even admitted to herself that she missed the feel of his lips on hers. She lunged at him, and he stumbled back from the impact of the force at which her body collided with him; he immediately melted into the wall when she licked his lips, before she bit his lower lip with her teeth. She pressed a hard kiss to his mouth and his lips moved against hers in response. His eyes rolled close and he let himself be consumed by the feel of her lips moving with his, a feeling that he’d missed in the past week. After a while, they pulled apart, breaths heaving to fill their lungs with oxygen. 

Ricky’s arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist, as hers were around his neck, their foreheads still touching. “I missed this, I missed you,” She whispered before separating from him and chugging another cup full of Gina’s magic drink. 

“Nina, stop drinking that.” He took the cup away from her hands, though he was too late. 

“Well, if you don’t let me drink, then you’re gonna have to kiss me to make up for it. And, for the lack of kisses in the past week.” Nini negotiated, placing a hand on his chest and leaned in for her compensation. Ricky’s arms around her waist held her away from him, he fell for it once, he wasn’t going to again. He couldn’t do this while she was drunk, they still had beef they hadn’t settled yet.

“No, Nina, we still have to talk first.”

“Ricky, I’m sleepy, I wanna go home.” Her arms wrapped around his waist in a hug, her cheek pressed against his chest. Nini was avoiding the topic, but she was clearly in no state to discuss the things that happened last weekend. “Come on, let’s get you home.” She whined as Ricky held on to her wrist, dragging her to his car. As soon as she settled in the passenger seat, her eyes flitted shut and she was out like a light. 

The car ride back to the West Shore from the North was a long one, but peaceful with Ricky’s acoustic playlist and Nini’s soft snores decorating the sound scape. Soon enough, his car pulled up in front of her house, and he shook her lightly to wake her up. She was confused when she woke up, as if she didn’t remember why she was in his car.

“Hey, you had a bit more than you could handle at the party, but I drove you back home. You should head in to rest for the night.” She smiled groggily at his soft voice, with arms reached out to pull his face closer to her. Nini definitely caught him off guard and managed to snag a kiss before he put some distance between them again. 

“Stop it… Kiss me, Ricky...” She whined again. 

“We can't do this yet, not until we talk about last weekend, okay?” His fingers stroked her hair as he saw a sad expression cover her face. 

Her brother helped her into the house and waved a goodbye at Ricky. The curly-haired lifeguard sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get any sleep that night. 

  
  
  


**_Ricky_ **

_ Good night Nina, I hope you have a good rest.  _

_ Meet me tomorrow night at the Waimea docks at 8, we really need to talk. _

_ Won’t leave till I see you, I promise.  _

  
  


* * *

After dinner, Nini was walking along the beachfront outside her house, dressed in a white tank top and her favourite blue cotton drawstring shorts. It was almost 9pm, an hour later than the time that she and Ricky agreed to meet on the harbour. Despite being late for their meeting, she took her time in making her way to the docks, a normal fifteen minute walk became that of thirty minutes; she recalled what she did at the party the previous night. She had wanted to kiss Ricky on so many occasions, but he’d respected her and kept his distance. Her disappointment and anger were long gone, replaced with guilt and longing. He truly cared about her and he cared about his job too.  _ Why wasn’t she able to see that earlier? _

Nini was relieved when she saw his curly-haired silhouette at the end of the dock,  _ at least he kept his promise that he’d wait till she showed up _ . He was strumming his guitar lightly, singing along to Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer quietly. She stood at the end of the dock, admiring his voice until the song ended.

“Hey Nins, I’m so glad you made it,” Ricky’s gaze was fixed on Nini as she took a seat next to him, letting her legs dangle off the dock. “I’m really sorry,” Nini blurted, “about the past week and yesterday.” Ricky’s lips parted, shocked because he didn’t expect her to apologise first. “I’m sorry too,” he owed her this apology, “for the way I treated you at my work.”

Her hand hovered over his, before intertwining their fingers; her small hand resting in his. “I’m sorry for being a nuisance at your work.”

He shook his head, it wasn’t her fault. It was his. “Nina, you know I mentioned when we first met, I moved over from Oahu a month ago. The reason why I moved here is the same reason as to why I acted the way I did. Being a lifeguard was my childhood dream, my dad was my role model, he was a lifeguard too. I used to train to become a junior lifeguard during my summers. One summer, I was rostered as a junior lifer and went on duty with my supervisor. It was a boring summer day, the water was rather calm so I was fooling around with a girl while on duty. I wasn’t paying attention on duty and there was a call for help. She told me to stay with her; she said don’t worry, the other senior lifeguards would do the rescue. I was blinded by infatuation and I listened to her. I failed to do my job.”

“Anyway, they saved him in the end. It was a really easy rescue but of course, I got scolded after that, got removed from lifeguarding that summer. But I only realised the value of a lifeguard that was paying attention on duty when I was surfing with my dad when we were visiting family on the mainland and there was this guy that got smashed by a huge wave, his board broke, he was caught in the rip currents. And, the lifeguard was talking to a girl, he wasn’t paying attention to the water. My dad and I ended up rescuing him to shore, calling the ambulance and explaining his conditions to the paramedics.” Ricky’s jaw tightened, and Nini rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand, in effort to comfort him. 

“I realised that lifeguarding was more than just a fantasy of looking cool, and getting hit up by girls on the beach,” Nini slapped his chest when she heard that. “It’s really about saving lives, educating the public about the dangers of the water and making a difference.” 

“I began training again and eventually got certified in my last semester of high school. I finished high school and went off to begin my lifeguard career. But because of my slip up that summer, they wouldn’t hire me. I mean, the waves in Oahu are huge, the risk was just too high. I understood that, so I shelved the lifeguard career — until Dad convinced me to move here, a new environment, new people, less biases. It was a chance for a fresh start and I had to take it, I loved lifeguarding too much to let it go forever. But I promised myself that I would never let anything get in the way of my focus on the job. So, I’m sorry that I was harsh, I never expected to see you during duty, at least not that soon.” Ricky placed his hand on her lower back, a sign of affection for her. “You deserve better, Nina, I don’t blame you if you hate me after all of this.” 

All this time Nini was staring out into the water, but upon his last sentence, she turned over to look him in the eyes, squeezing his hand slightly. “I don’t hate you, Ricky.” 

“I was just disappointed because I thought you just blew me off and didn’t think we had something special anymore.”

“Nins, you are my something special. I just can’t afford getting distracted on the job ok? There’s just too much at stake.” 

The burden had been lifted off both their shoulders and the gap between them that had grown in the past two weeks never felt even smaller. She reached over to the side to wrap her arms around his waist and he rested his head on top of her. It was a really short moment, because the alarm on Ricky’s phone went off again, causing the pair to separate from each other. He simply turned the alarm off and looked back at the girl next to him. 

“Come on, let’s go, you need to get some sleep for tomorrow’s shift,” Nini gathered her belongings, taking cue from the alarm that time was up. “Hey, no, it’s ok, I wanna stay for a while more with you.” She smiled and kissed his cheek. For the first time in a week, they talked, caught up and jammed to songs with Ricky’s guitar. It felt as if the past week didn’t happen. Kisses scattered their conversation as they made up for lost time; and they even progressed to subtle touches like stroking each other’s cheeks, holding hands and leaning against each other. 

“Ricky, it’s getting late, you really should get some sleep for tomorrow,” Nini stood up abruptly, after checking the time, worrying that he might be really tired on shift the next day. He followed her cue and stood up, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Thank you, Nina, this really meant a lot to me.” 

He slung his arm around her shoulders as they walked to his car in silence. 

It was a two minute ride back to Nini’s house. Ricky leaned over the centre console to give her one last hug. “I’ll see you around soon?” Nini nodded, promising to text him when she was in bed. She slid out of his car reluctantly after their sweet goodbye kiss, giving one last wave before disappearing behind the front door. 

After the seven minute drive back home, Ricky checked his phone to see that he received a text from her. 

  
  


**_Nina_ **

_ Thank you for being honest with me. Meet up on your next day off? _

**_Ricky_ **

_ Thank you for hearing me out; _

_ the next time I’m off is Thursday, that ok with you? _

**_Nina_ **

_ Yep, see you on thursday _

  
  


* * *

  
  


Ricky and Nini continued to grow their  _ something special _ , spending as much time as they could; mostly on Facetime because her homework was starting to catch up to her. He would come over for dinner some days and played songs on the guitar as he watched her study. Other days, he’d be too exhausted from spending the entire day in the sun, or be hanging at Red’s playing video games. Nini would go to Poipu on the weekends he was on duty to sneak him a coffee, through Red or EJ, knowing that he’d need the caffeine perk but also not wanting to distract him during his job. Ricky was growing in certainty that he was falling for this beautiful girl, with her perfections and imperfections. 

In the recent weeks, Nate and Emma had been talking non-stop about their wedding that was planned to happen in April. As the first Roberts child to get married, the pressure was on to throw a huge wedding and invite the whole town for the celebration. With barely a month left, they were busy tying up loose ends and working on programme flow of the actual day; they had asked Nini to sing the song for the march-in and first dance. And, suddenly the stress of the upcoming wedding fell on Nini’s shoulders as she realised she was going to have to sing in front of the whole town, twice. 

They had requested Bless the Broken Road for the march-in but left it to Nini to choose the song for the first dance. Thankfully, the song selection didn’t take too much out of her, Nini knew that Emma loved Shania Twain and chanced upon an arrangement that she really liked. The only problem was the medley arrangement was a duet. She tried it on her own and it felt rather empty, and lonely. She would’ve asked Nic to sing with her but he couldn’t sing to save his life. 

“Nina, you’re stressing out,” She was staring blankly at the black and white keys of the piano when she felt hands massaging into her shoulders and a figure pressed into her back. Recognising that it was Ricky, she leaned into him, and let out a sigh. He pressed a kiss to her head as she asked him, “Since when did you get here?” 

“I just did,” She turned around and looked at him like she didn’t believe him, “Okay fine, I was downstairs talking to Nate and Nic about the venue decor, they were worried when you stopped playing, so I came up to check on you. What have you been up to, Nina?” Nina let out another sigh, as Ricky slid in next to her, sharing the piano bench, “I really like this medley arrangement but it sounds terrible when I sing it on my own. I mean it was arranged to be a duet, I don’t know why I thought it’d sound good-” 

“Let’s try it,”

“Wait, what?”

“Give me a sec,” He ran over to Nini’s room to retrieve her guitar, sat back down and started strumming. She gave him a look before following his lead, her fingers running across the keys with ease. Emptiness she’d previously felt was filled by the harmonies between them and the acoustic guitar added another layer of emotion to the song. It was perfect for the first dance. 

The time for the wedding rolled around, they were getting married at the town’s plantation cottages, keeping it close to home and simple. The venue was well decorated with white and light blue, Nate and Emma’s favourite colours. While the rest of the Roberts family were running around greeting guests, making sure that things were going smoothly, Nini was by the altar setting up her keyboard. As soon as she was done, Nic had dragged her over to keep Sarah company, as it was her first Roberts family event. She was telling an embarrassing story of Nic when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a hug. 

“Hey Sarah, hey Nina.” Ricky greeted them both, “Looking really good today.” Good was the biggest understatement of the day. Nini was dressed in an ivory dress with a tiny flower crown around her head, just like the rest of the bridal party. She had eyeshadow and lipstick on, and was even wearing heels. Nini was always beautiful to Ricky but right there and then, she was exceptionally beautiful; her eyes looked even browner under the sunlight, her hair blowing gently in the wind. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, “You look so beautiful today.” He just had to tell her. 

“Thank you, and you look handsome too,” Ricky was decked in an ivory shirt and grey pants, a look completely different from his usually bright yellow uniform. His sleeves were rolled up, some wax in his hair to keep it styled. The three of them fell into easy conversation, joking about how Nate was freaking out like a teenage girl but Emma was as calm as ever. 

Nini fist bumped Nate, who was standing in front of the altar, as she made her way to her keyboard. Her hands were shaking slightly as they rested on the keys, ready to take cue from the officiator. Her eyes scanned the audience quickly and met Ricky’s gaze. He smiled at her in encouragement, mouthing a “you can do it”. Nini played the introduction of the song as they announced the entry of the bride. Ricky thought Nini was most attractive when she was singing. She always poured her heart into each song, including random songs in karaoke, and the way she looked at the people around her as she sang to them made his heart melt (or mostly the way she looked at him as she sang to him). He could never understand how she could look into his eyes the entire song, even as her fingers danced over the keys. 

As they sang the [first dance song medley](https://youtu.be/MpllQgg9JAU?t=127) together, Ricky could help but look at Nini as she sang to the wedded couple, who were locked in an embrace. He saw tears welling up in her eyes, when she looked at him as they sang the bridge in perfect harmony. 

_ You're still the one _

_ You're still the one I run to _

_ The one that I belong to _

_ You're still the one I want for life _

_ You're still the one _

_ You're still the one that I love _

_ The only one I dream of _

_ You're still the one I kiss good night _

Nate and Emma shared a kiss as they whispered the last line of the song, Nini leaned into Ricky’s side as happy tears rolled down her cheeks. He kissed her forehead affectionately, slinging an arm around her shoulder. 

“Nini, that was a beautiful song, I want you to sing at my wedding too.” Nic ruffled her hair and earned a smack on the head from Nini for messing up her hair, and a slap on the chest from Sarah. Nini didn’t have any time to retaliate because her dad pulled her away to dance with him, and Nic with their mom. She was even offered dances by some of her uncles and family friends, all which she said yes to with a gracious smile. They talked about college applications and plans after graduation; they asked if she was seeing Ricky, and offered their opinions about their “relationship”, even though it was uncalled for. They dug for information about Nic’s surfing and Nate’s new business and some asked about how her parents were doing. Nini hated every second of it, the life of Nini Roberts. She occasionally glanced over to look at Ricky, who was sitting with Sarah peacefully, grateful that they didn’t get caught up in the whirlwind of crazy that was her family. 

The reception was excruciating, albeit still a joyous occasion; they had dinner, cut the cake, took photos and danced. When the guests finally left, Nini was relieved that she finally didn’t need to remind others that she was already 18 and graduating from high school next month or explain that Ricky wasn’t her boyfriend. Speaking of Ricky, he was nowhere to be found — until Sarah had passed her a napkin with a message on it.  _ See you on the docks, Nina.  _ A smile creeped onto Nini’s face as she walked in the direction of the harbour. She took her heels off and held them in her left hand, as her right clutched tightly to the napkin.

“Hey you,” Nini sat next to Ricky and dangled her legs off the pier, just as he did. He leaned into her, kissing her on the lips. Her eyes closed shut and she tilted her head slightly, to get closer to him. He breathed like he’d just ran a marathon when he pulled away, but she leaned in again to capture his lips with hers. 

“Hey, hey,” They pulled away, looking into each others’ eyes, “Can I ask you something? It’s been on my mind the whole day, and i really need to get it off my chest,” Ricky straightened up and fiddled with his tie nervously. Nini nodded and gulped unconsciously, she sort of already knew where this conversation was headed. 

“Was the thought of being with me so revolting that you had to set it straight with everyone at the wedding that we aren’t dating?” 

Nini saw a twinge of sadness flash in his brown eyes, and a twinge of sadness in her heart knowing she made him sad. But, she hesitated as the wheels in her head started spinning at full speed. There were so many things that she wanted to say. 

“You know ever since I’d been over at your house for games night, I’d been thinking that I don’t think we can be friends anymore,” The wheels in her head stopped turning. A breath hitched in Nini’s throat, but she let him continue. “I’m always going to want something more with you, Nina, to hold you in my arms and kiss you anytime I want to. I know it’s been only three months and things seem to be moving really fast, but if you were okay with it, I’d like to give us a try.” She immediately let go of the breath she’d been holding in, relieved that he wasn’t going to end their friendship. To Ricky, it seemed like she let out a sigh, which he interpreted as hesitation. He quickly tried to blow off the situation, “We don’t have to put a label on it yet, I just want you to know how I feel.”

Nini could feel his sadness building up, her thumbs rubbed against his hands to soothe him, “Ricky, look at me.” She cupped his cheeks with both her hands, “These three months have been the best three months ever. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend them with anyone else, other than you.” She planted a kiss on his lips and he held her chin to deepen the kiss. After a not-so-short while, they pulled away, her forehead still resting on his. “As for dating me, you’ll have to get my brothers’ permission first.” Nini teased him again. He pulled her into his lap, hugging her waist tightly, “I already did, Nins.” Her eyes widened in surprise, “No, you did not.” He shrugged, admitting that he’d asked Nic and Nate if he could ask her out; they even told him to move in with their family if she said yes, it was a mighty stamp of approval from the older bros. He knew that her brothers were a big part of her life and wanted them involved in this aspect of her life. 

Nini turned around, straddling his waist and attacked his lips once more, her fingers playing with the curls on his head. His hands lingered around her waist, caressing the small of her back. “You are just amazing, Bowen. Thank you,” She really appreciated that he respected her family relations as well; he was even more thoughtful than she thought he was. 

“Can I be really honest, Ricky?” He turned his body, angling it toward her to keep his eyes on her as she spoke. He didn’t have a single clue about what she was about to say and was feeling really uneasy about where it might head. “I like who I am around you. For the longest time, I’d been Nic’s and Nate’s younger sister, I was expected to follow in their footsteps, to get good grades like they did, to surf and start a business like they are doing now. With you, I’m just plain ol’ Nina, not the Nini everyone knows me to be, the Nini that others befriend just to use to get close with my brothers.” He relaxed visibly, enough to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, listening intently like he always did with her. “I like you, Ricky. You accept me for being my own person, you’ve never judged and you help me become better. You’re polite, I’ve never felt objectified under your gaze and you’ve shown me that you care.” Ricky’s heart was beating out of his chest and a soft smile was growing on his face. “I like who we are together, it feels very us-against-the-world, like nothing is stopping us.”

“But, like I said, everyone sees me as the sweet baby Nini Roberts. My family is crazy, they are crazy protective over me and my brothers. I just didn’t need them meddling with this part of my life too, I just wanted it to be us first.” Nini got shy as she admitted these things to him, a blush rising up to her cheeks. 

Ricky pulled them back from the edge of the pier and into his lap, closing the distance between them, “Be my girlfriend, Nina.” She leaned in closer to him, their noses touched and he could feel her breath on his lips. She whispered a “yes” and hastily closed the mere inch of distance between his and her lips. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Nate, can you pick an outfit for me?” Nini was folding the Roberts family laundry, as she facetimed her brother, who was on his honeymoon in Bali. “Why, got a date with Ricky tomorrow?” He teased, even though what her answer was. “Yes, I do, so please help me. I wanna look good,” Nate laughed at his baby sister but nonetheless, put something together for her, a simple white crochet cover-up over a brown bikini set — after all, he’d been saving this outfit for her first date with Ricky since she’d met him. 

  
  


Their first date was a week after the wedding, a week after their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend had begun. Nini sat on her porch waiting for Ricky to pick her up, in her hands was her handphone as she swiped the game of 2048. His car pulled into the lot in front of her house and she rose from her seat to approach him in the car. 

“Hey you, where are we going today?” Nini leaned against the side of his car, his window rolled down to talk to her from the driver’s seat. She leaned in to peck his lips, and he gladly complied. “Why don’t you go get your board, and I’ll fill you in later.” Nini smiled and ran to the shed behind the house to grab her favourite board. They loaded her surfboard into the back seat and she slipped into the passenger seat next to him. “So, I figured that we hadn’t gone swimming or surfing together yet, even though we keep saying that we love the ocean,” Ricky explained as he drove further west, “We are going to spend our day at Kekaha, the forecast is best there today.” 

This day was one of the days that Nini was extremely grateful to Nate for helping her pick out even her bathing suit which complemented her dark hair and eyes. Seeing Nini in a bikini close up was riling him up, her skin looked really soft; her hair was up in a ponytail and her neckline was exposed, begging to be kissed. As she sat on the sand to apply her sunscreen, Ricky was waxing their boards; she really appreciated his thoughtfulness, while he was distracting himself from staring at her.

“Ready to get into the water?” Nini asked as she tugged her hair out of her ponytail, letting it fall loosely over her shoulders. “Why don’t you go in first, I’ll catch up with you,” Ricky shooed her into the sea before organising their things neatly. He took his singlet off and sprayed some sunscreen on. Ricky knew this was the first time that Nini was going to see him shirtless and he was really curious about how she’d react; he knew his body was good, all the training to keep fit for his job was paying off. He walked towards her, she was sitting on her board in waist-deep water, “Hey waterbug, thanks for waiting up.” She turned around, met with the view of his abs and bare chest. Nini was gaping slightly, she knew he was fit but  _ damn _ , she had been missing out on this view for the past week. “Race you to catch the first wave,” Ricky flopped onto his surfboard, the view of his chiseled abs disappearing before Nini’s eyes. She paddled hard, a competitive spirit rising up in her chest. They stood up at the same time, surfing down the wave side by side. 

After washing up with fresh water and drying off, the pair sat down in the shade of the giant umbrella Ricky brought to eat the lunch that Ricky had packed for them — guacamole, chips, spam sushi and sweet tea. They caught up with what they did since they last met and how Ricky had been coping with living apart from his family, who were still in Oahu. Nini suddenly stood up for a stretch, the effects of surfing and food coma were hitting her hard; she didn’t want to fall asleep, she wanted to take in all of him. On the contrary to her thoughts, Ricky shifted to lie down on the blanket, patting the spot next to him, “Come lie down, Nins.” 

Nini took her spot next to Ricky, her eyes looking toward the sky. The weather was beautiful, the sky dotted with clouds so that the sun’s glare was shielded and the sea breeze was gentle and cool. Her eyelids were droopy as she fought the sleep that wanted to take over. She didn’t fight for long, “Ricky, I can’t do this,” she said with her eyes closed, “I think I might fall asleep.” 

“Then, sleep,” Ricky tells her. She opened her eyes slightly to look at him, “But, what are you going to do?” 

“I’ll just be here, enjoying the scenery, playing my guitar?” He laughed at her question, but reassured her with a smile, “Just rest, I think you need it.” 

A silence fell upon them, the sound of the wind rustling in the trees and the sound of the waves filled their ears. Ricky stole a glance at Nini and found that she was out like a light, her long hair was half dry and splayed out on the blanket. He took his time to study her, she was really the prettiest girl he had seen. Her tanned skin glowed in the sunlight and the light bounced off her cheekbones, forehead and nose. His eyes fell to look at her pink lips and suddenly really wanted to kiss her. He quickly shunned the thought, thinking that he’d wait till she was awake to kiss her again. She deserved that much. 

When Nini woke up twenty minutes later, Ricky was absentmindedly fiddling with the fins on his surfboard, sunglasses covering his eyes but looking in her general direction. “Are you staring?” She covered her face, and scrunched her nose up in a crinkle, embarrassed at the attention she was getting. “You’re really shy for someone as pretty as you,” he finally admitted to her that he thought she was pretty, and shifted her hands away from her face. Ricky leaned down to give her a peck on the lips, and boldly ruffled his fingers through her hair, “You are so beautiful, Nins, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” She smiled at him, and whispered a small  _ thank you _ . Her hand snaked around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss, a deep one this time.

“Sing something, Ricky, for me.” 

He smirked at her and picked his guitar up, strumming the chords to Gotta Find You by Joe Jonas. As he sang the first line, Nini threw her head back in laughter, realising what song he’d picked. But, deep inside, she was really touched that he remembered their conversation about watching Disney channel in their childhood and how Camp Rock was one of Nini’s favourite movies growing up. She sat up and gave a round of applause when he had finished the song, “Nice touch, handsome,” and he simply winked in response. 

Nini reached over to take the guitar from him, switching things up with an acoustic rendition of What Dreams Are Made Of by Hilary Duff. Ricky’s jaw dropped, her voice was beautiful as usual, but he did not expect her to remember that this was his go-to karaoke song that he wished had a proper acoustic version released. “Hey now, hey now, this is what dreams are made of,” He joined her in the second chorus, the pair rocked it out on the beach, their excitement catching the attention of the few people on the beach.

“Babe, you are one in a million talented,” his voice gushing with sincerity, “I can’t believe I’ve found the sweetest girl who can surf, sing, play instruments and is really hot. And, that’s not even all there is to you.” She felt blood rush to her face when Ricky complimented her. He was so direct, yet so genuine in sweet-talking her. He noticed a blush creeping up her cheeks and smirked, internally satisfied that he had the same effect she had on him, on her. They continued exchanging songs, singing together, with subtle touches and light kisses in between. 

Time flew by, and hours passed like minutes. The sky had turned pink and orange as the sun had begun to set. Somewhere along the way, Ricky had laid his head in Nini’s lap as he quietly strummed his guitar, deep in thought while she was on her phone, scrolling through social media. The past few months felt like a dream for Ricky, he had never imagined that he would have found someone in Kauai this quickly, neither did he expect to fall for her this quickly. With the deep conversations, kisses, touches and everything in between, he was thankful that they were where they were now, together. He began recounting the first time they met, at Nic’s party, and the connection they formed right from their first handshake. 

Nini seemed to have noticed that he was so deep in thought that had stopped strumming the guitar. She ruffled her fingers through his curls, like her brothers did to her, interrupting his thoughts, “You okay? What are you thinking about?” He smiled, put his guitar away, and sat up, gathering her hands in his. 

“You,” He teased, though his answer was not far from the truth, “And, how lucky I am to be with you.” Nini leaned in to capture his lips with hers, and he met her halfway, with as much passion. 

It was almost dinner time and Ricky drove Nini back home so that she could eat with her family. She’d invited him to come for dinner too but he had declined, wanting to let her spend time with her loved one. She made him promise to come over next time, to meet her family and he did. He engulfed in a tight hug and kissed her goodbye, telling her that he’ll text her more later that night. 

After Nini was done with dinner, she checked her phone to see that she received a text from him. 

**_Ricky_ **

_ Grab lunch together tomorrow during my break at 1pm? _

**_Nina_ **

_ Sure, I’ll pack something for us tomorrow!  _

_ Thank you for today, you were amazing <3 _

**_Ricky_ **

_ Thank you for being with me <3 _


	3. summer

Spring had turned to summer. Nini was finally graduating from high school, she was about to contribute to the unemployment rate in America. Her graduation ceremony was simple but joyous, the whole town was there to celebrate with the graduating class. Ricky made arrangements in his work schedule to make sure that he could be there for her. Nate mugged her when she came running to them in her oversized blue gown with Nic on facetime, Ricky just watched them as he stood behind her parents; her relationship with her brothers was something he coveted as an only child. He helped the family take a group photo, and couldn’t help beam as her parents expressed how proud they were of her. Nini finally ran into his arms after her brothers had pointed out that he’d been waiting for her. “Ricky!” He spun her in a circle, before carefully placing her back on the ground, “Congratulations, Nina, you did so good.” Ricky handed her the lone sunflower that he bought on the way to her school and gave her a kiss, which she deepened by tugging his head closer to hers. As they pulled away, she clasped his hands tightly, “You’re joining my family for dinner tonight, right?” He nodded slowly, “Of course, Nina, I love your family.” 

The Roberts family were a home away from Ricky’s home, even Mr and Mrs Roberts had taken a liking to him like a prodigal son. He was truly grateful for their hospitality to him, and for Nini, who’d fill him in on their inside jokes and invited him to dinners. Dinner that night was no different from the others, as Nini’s dad whipped up a feast of her favourite foods, her mom made tiramisu for dessert. Ricky had a fun time getting to know Nini, as Nate and her parents took turns to tell stories of her when she was growing up. They recalled about when she first started surfing when she was seven, and how adorable it was to see her small body on a large board as she caught her first wave. Nate teased about her first crush on their neighbour, Keoke, who proposed when they were six; Nini blushed but reminded Nate that he’d almost beat him up, being the protective older brother he used to be. Ricky joked, saying he was thankful that Nate was a different person now, else he would have had a dent in his forehead already. The night deepened as banter and laughter filled the Roberts house. 

Nini managed to get some time alone with Ricky, dragging him to the beach in front of their house as Nate and Emma were discussing with their parents about some business stuff. “I got something for you,” Nini squeezed his hand that was interlaced with hers. Ricky’s eyes widened, it was her graduation day, he was supposed to be the one to give her something, not the other way around. “What? Why?” He asked curiously, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. She pulled something shiny out of her shorts pocket, and showed him the gift. It was a dog tag engraved with the words  _ Nina’s lifeguard _ . He laughed at the engraved message and she pouted at his reaction. Ricky noticed that she was really quiet and turned to give a kiss and a thank you. Nini felt the need to justify her gift after his unexpected reaction, “Summer’s here. And there’s gonna be lots of hot and pretty mainland girls that will go to Poipu and-” 

“Nina, I’m your lifeguard. I only have eyes for you okay,” He leaned in to kiss her again, this time a deeper and longer kiss, as if to kiss her worries away. Her anxiety was cute to Ricky, but he knew her insecurities were valid; winter and summer were dangerous seasons where Hawaii hosted the most number of tourists from all over the world. “You know, I won’t talk to any of them unnecessarily on duty, I have a job to do. I’ll make an exception and talk to you if you come when I’m on duty, how’s that?” Nini smiled, she was touched at his effort to reassure her. “I trust you, Ricky, I just don’t trust the tourist girls. Girl’s gotta stake her claim.” Ricky laughed, getting to know Nini’s possessive side was more than amusing. 

“Come visit me at work tomorrow, I promise I’ll do better than last time. I wanna show you off.” Ricky suggested, but Nini shook her head. “You should focus on your job, babe.” He squished her cheeks affectionately, “Then, can you come over for dinner after shift tomorrow?”

“Of course, if you let me cook, I will,” Ricky raised an eyebrow, “If you won’t burn my rental apartment then, sure.” Even though he knew she wouldn’t burn his kitchen down, he’d take any opportunity to poke fun at his girlfriend. Her pout was just too cute.

Nini had planned to cook an easy and yummy grilled chicken with rice and salad. She’d gone with her mom to the market in town to get everything they needed and even marinated the chicken in advance. She had told Ricky that she’d meet him at his apartment, but grabbed an uber to Poipu to surprise him at the end of his shift instead. The moment she alighted the uber she headed to Nate’s surf shop to borrow his fridge for her chicken and salad, then headed to the beach. Poipu was crowded as she had anticipated it to be, there was barely any space to sit and the water was teaming with children, teenagers and adults. She spotted Ricky standing outside his tower, looking at his watch; she laughed, knowing he probably couldn’t wait for his shift to be over. There seemed to be a group of girls who were loitering around the stairs leading up to the lifeguard tower, Nini rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.  _ Girls. _ EJ was heading back to the tower and saw her walking over to the beach. “Nini!” He fist bumped her and gave her a side hug, and the girls’ eyes narrowed as they watched the friendly exchange. EJ kindly escorted her up the stairs to the tower, her eyes were fixed on Ricky. Her gaze naturally was fixed on the silver metal piece around his neck, as it sparkled, reflecting the light from the sun. She finally caught Ricky’s gaze. He was surprised but smiled at her presence and kissed her lightly.

“Aloha baby, I thought you said you weren’t coming over today? And are you wearing my shirt?” Nini smiled cheekily, “I wanted to surprise you. And yes, I’m not ocean safety so of course, this is your shirt.” He admired her small frame that was engulfed by his yellow ocean safety uniform. She had knotted the hem of the shirt so that it didn’t cover her shorts, exposing her midriff. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him. “Ricky, you’re still not off for half an hour,” Nini loved that he did a complete 180, showing her his effort to be better, but his job was still of utter importance. She rubbed his shoulder and retreated to chill out in the tower as he continued to watch the water. The tide was coming in soon so EJ and some other lifeguards were telling people to come in toward the shore. Some guys were out surfing as the tide came in and one of them got hit by a wave and his leash got caught in the corals as he wiped out. Ricky ran out to the water and started paddling to the rescue, Red hot on his heels. Ricky managed to cut the leash, they got the guy back to the surface and the whole group of them back to shore. Nini welcomed him back to the tower with a towel in her hands, which he gladly took from her, and a kiss on his cheek. She could see the fatigue on his face, being in the sun for the whole day was no easy feat, “Ten more minutes to go, and we can go back to your apartment, crank up the a/c and cuddle!” Ricky’s face brightened a little, as his eyes fixated toward the beach. The next moment, he saw EJ broke into a run toward the shoreline and sprinted down the tower steps. Nini was really proud of Ricky as she watched him from the lifeguard tower as he gave his best even in the last ten minutes of duty. As they carried the child back to shore, they let the visitors know that lifeguard hours were ending, and advised them to stay out of the water for the rest of the day. Ricky kept glancing back at the tower, at his girlfriend who was helping Red wash and keep their equipment; he would catch her looking at him sometimes and they’d give each other a big smile. She was folding up his laundry in the tower when he tucked his head in the crook of her neck, pressing a kiss to her jaw, “Let’s go home, Nina.” 

Ricky plopped into the passenger seat of his car, since Nini had volunteered to drive, reclined his chair and blasted the air-conditioner. Even when he was training as a junior lifeguard, summer crowds at the beach were the absolute worst and the constant harassment from visitors made the job so much harder. Girls who tried to chat him up were bothersome but to some extent, entertaining, when he was still single; now that he was spoken for, it was all the more bothersome and disturbing.  _ Three more months to go _ . He was really grateful that Nini had shown up, she was his support than she would ever know. She couldn’t drive with only one hand on the steering wheel like he could, so he rested his hand on her thigh and squeezed it to show her his gratitude. 

A half an hour drive later, Nini pulled into the parking lot in front of Ricky’s rental apartment. She shook her curly-haired boyfriend awake, he had fallen asleep quicker than he wanted to, showing Nini that he was really really tired. Ricky unlocked the door and bolted for the shower as Nini settled into the kitchen to cook up dinner. She tied her hair up in a loose bun and unknot her shirt for comfort sake as she scoped his kitchen, pulling out the things she would need. Ricky showered really quickly and soon emerged from the bathroom in his jersey shorts and towel hanging from his neck. His hair was still slightly wet when he buried his face into her neck again, kissing her exposed neckline and she stood in front of the stove grilling the chicken. She could feel him smiling into her neck and turned around to tease him, “Why so happy, Ricky?” 

“Sometimes, I feel like I’ve known you my entire life, Nina. Like, how you showed up at my work today, and how you knew everything that I needed, you can see through me; Nina, you understand me so well. Even now, seeing you here cooking in my kitchen feel so familiar and so much like home.” Nini’s heart felt warm as Ricky opened up to her, she was so happy that she was able to make him feel loved in an island that he was new to. However, in the time they had spent together, Nini realised that she would boldly talk about her family and her siblings like her second nature, but Ricky would shy away from the topic of his family, other than his dad. 

“Do you miss home, Ricky?” 

A silence fell upon them, sans the sound of chicken being grilled and the clicking of cutlery as Nini set the table. If Nini didn’t know any better, she would tell you that you could cut the tension in the kitchen with a knife. But she knew Ricky, and she knew that he was genuinely thinking about what he was feeling at that moment. Prior to this, she could confidently tell you that Ricky actually hadn’t thought much of his family, other than his dad. He was busy adjusting to life in Kauai and she had kept him rather occupied as well. 

“I miss Oahu and my family,” He finally spoke as he sunk into the chair at the dining table. Nini brought his plate over to him, settled it in front of him before she sat in his lap and enveloped him in a hug. “I haven’t called home yet you know? I’ve only been texting my dad updates weekly. I’ve been telling myself that I’m too busy to call them but now that I think about it, I think I’m just scared to call them.” Nini’s fingers brushed through his hair when he opened up to her.

“Nins, let’s talk about this later ok? Maybe we should eat first, I’m starving.” Nini let out a small chuckle at how nothing would get in between Ricky and food, not even the topic of missing home. They spent dinner talking about their day; Ricky told her how EJ had been enjoying the attention from the tourist girls and how the senior lifeguards were constantly teasing him about it. Nini told him about how Nate and Emma were giving her a month to rest from school before they’d make her work for their business full time. Nini also mentioned some things that she wanted to do before she started working, one of those things was to go to Oahu. She’d been before but now that she was with Ricky, she wanted to see his island from his perspective, as well as meet his family. 

Speaking of family, the couple finally finished up their dinner and headed out to the docks to catch the sunset. The sky was an orange hue that evening as the sun lowered into the horizon. Ricky was looking out into the horizon, lost in thought as Nini leaned into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. “Thinking about your family?” Nini asked carefully. “You know when you said that your relatives could be really scary sometimes, I’ve never told you that the Bowen clan is exactly the same; they might even be worse. I’d never mentioned this before but all the Bowen boys were lifeguards in their lifetimes. My grandfather upheld his father’s legacy and so, his sons did his. My older cousins set an example for my generation and it looked fun, especially when girls flocked them during the summer and they’d take their pick each day.” Nini looked at him incredulously, skating her head in disapproval. “But, obviously, I didn’t live up to that legacy when I got cut off from the junior lifeguard programme. My mom was really upset because it happened when she was at the Big Island for a business meeting, and she took that anger out on my dad. My house had never been the same since then, they’d been quarrelling at any chance they had. So, when the chance to move away came, I was more than eager to get away from the mess of my family.”

“I’m really sorry, Ricky. I didn’t know…” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his shoulder. He smiled at her, of course she wouldn’t know if he’d never told her. “I miss my dad, and I miss my grandad. They were the only ones who were supportive of my move here,” Nini noticed Ricky’s voice softened when he mentioned his grandfather and she rubbed his cheek comfortingly. “You should call your grandad, I bet he misses you too.”

“I want you to meet him, he’s gonna like you,” Ricky pinched her cheek. Nini blushed at the thought of meeting his family, even though it might be on Facetime. It felt sort of special since it was a rather private part of his life and a big deal — considering he wanted her to meet the positive influences in his life. “I’d love to meet them, one day.” 

Nini wanted to make the heavy atmosphere go away, but her brain just didn’t load fast enough. They sat in silence, comfortable but slightly awkward, not knowing what to say next. Both of them were deep in thought, but Ricky broke the silence first, “Do you want children someday?” Nini shifted to sit between his legs as she pulled his arms around her waist, “Of course I do, someday. What about you?” 

“I’d want three. Hopefully, the first one will be a boy so that he can take care of his younger siblings, like Nate takes care of you and Nic. And if the youngest were a girl, she could be daddy’s little girl, just like you are,” He kissed her cheek lightly. Nini smiled a little, her family was nowhere near perfect but she was always grateful that her brothers had her back and her parents still loved each other, “Well, if I could have three, I’d love three too. Although” 

“Seems like we’d make a cute family next time,” Ricky teased her; although when he really gave it some thought, he could imagine Nini being there for the rest of his life. She elbowed his stomach, and he winced slightly at the impact. She couldn’t believe he said that, but she’d be lying if it didn’t cross her mind at least before. They sat at the docks and continued to talk till it was late, Nini cutting their conversation short so that Ricky could get sleep for the next day of work. 

“Stay over tonight? Just sleep though, gotta wake up early tomorrow,” He held her hand tenderly, his forehead connected to hers as they broke apart from a kiss. Nini laughed quietly, her breath grazing his lips, “My brothers are going to kill you if you don’t bring me home tonight, babe.” Ricky smirked at her use of the endearment, understanding her concerns, “No, they said they won’t,” He taunted. She noticed a glint in his eyes, and finally understood, “You did not!” 

“Of course I did, Nins, else I’d really get killed.” He had asked for her brothers’ permission, again. Nini’s heart swelled once again at his sensibility and she pulled him closer for a kiss.

“Let’s go home, Nina.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


A month later, Nini began working at Nate’s and Emma’s little shop in Poipu. A year ago, they had set up a quaint little sustainability cafe near the beach, so that tourists who came in for coffee and food would get educated on the Kauai environment and hopefully treat our island with more care. Over the months, it had evolved into a cafe slash equipment rental slash souvenir shop. Nate and Emma had wanted her to curate and design more souvenirs, while managing the souvenir side of the shop. On some days, she took afternoons to sing an open mic in the cafe, garnering tips from people who had too much money to spend. The job wasn’t much but Nini was more than grateful for the generosity of her brother and sister-in-law, in giving her the freedom to do what she loved while earning her keep. 

Ricky would come in during his lunch breaks to spend time with her. On busier days, he’d eat lunch while watching her talk to customers with a pleasant smile on her face; other days, they’d eat together and she would teach him how to make some of the souvenirs they put out. One fine day, unbeknownst to Nini, Emma had taught him to braid a ring with some leftover rose gold plated copper wire and he’d made one for Nini’s tiny, slim index finger. Just like she’d given him the dog tag, he gave her the ring, joking that he wasn’t proposing but just “staking his claim’, as he quoted her. “I’ve noticed how there’ve been an increasing number of male tourists coming in here when you sing in the cafe,” He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, pulling her close to him. Nini crinkled her nose cutely, enjoying the close proximity of their bodies, “Let me guess, you trust me but you don’t trust them?” He rolled his eyes at her and let out a low growl in her ear, “You always look sexy in navy, Nins, what can I say?” The Roberts family looked absolutely gorgeous in navy blue, it was no wonder fashionista Nate would choose the colour for his uniform. Nini leaned in to kiss her boyfriend, he intertwined his fingers with hers, stroking the ring on her index finger. “I’m your Nina,” she whispered, reminding him that no one else called her that, except him. 

Until someone else did. 

“Nina!” A boy, whose eyes were covered by sunglasses even though he was inside the shop, called out to her. Nini chose not to react, not wanting him to think that she was ok with him calling her  _ Nina _ . “Your name is Nina, right?” He asked shyly, after her lack of reaction. 

She shrugged, “I prefer Nini,  _ please _ .” He shrugged in response, “I heard a guy call you that though, I think that’s your real name.” Nini felt uncomfortable with the attention she was getting, especially since the target of this boy’s attention was her, for once not her brothers. She took a quick glance at Nate, disappointed to see him busy making coffee for a customer. “Just Nini, please. Welcome to Seas the Day, how may I help you?” She took her place behind the counter, to place some distance between her and the stranger. Her eyes flickered to the clock on the screen-saver.  _ 11:28 _ . Approximately three minutes before Ricky would walk in to save her from this situation. “Hmm, I would like to have your number. Maybe we could have some fun tonight at the local party I heard about.” Nini cringed at his straightforwardness, immediately dismissing him, redirecting him to the cafe for a coffee. “Come on, live a little,” He leaned over the counter, getting closer to her. She took a couple of steps back, surprised and highly disturbed at his advances. 

Just in time, she saw her curly-haired boyfriend burst through the glass door into the air-conditioned shop, his eyes still covered by his sunglasses. Unlikely the pretentious tourist boy, he took his sunglasses off, as he scanned the place for a sign of Nini; he was rudely met with the view of a guy standing over his girlfriend, who looked scared out of her wits. He caught her eyes and quickly walked over to save her from the situation. Ricky's arm wrapped around her waist as he planted a kiss in her hair, “Hey Nins, how have you been doing,  _ love _ ?” He’d never used that endearment on her before, they’d thrown pet names like  _ babe  _ or _ hon  _ in the mix before; but they haven’t said the four lettered L word to each other yet. She leaned into his body next to her and planted a kiss on his jaw, “I’ve been doing great, up till now at least.” 

The boy leaning on the counter took a few steps back as he witnessed their intimacy. “I’ll be back tomorrow for what I came for, Nina. Hopefully, it’ll be ready by then.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, and took a turn to the cafe for that coffee she recommended. Ricky’s eyes narrowed when he heard him call her Nina, that name was only for him to call. “He called you Nina? What the f-” Nini placed her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss, cutting him off. “He said he had heard you call me that before,” she pouted, hating it as much as he did, “I told him to call me Nini but he didn’t seem to want to.” 

“I’ll start calling you anything by Nina from now on,” Ricky sighed in frustration, intertwining his fingers with hers. His voice dropped low, to a whisper, “Nina is only for us both.” Nini laughed gently, and buried her face in his chest, affirming his decision. She didn’t want anyone other than Ricky calling her Nina, it just didn’t feel right. 

The next day, Nini was setting up her keyboard and microphone in the back end of the cafe when she heard the jingling of the bells at the entrance, signalling the entry of a customer. Her eyes flitted to the door and she saw the same guy from the day before, with two of his friends. Even with his sunglasses on, she could tell that they were talking about her. She picked up her phone and sent Ricky a text. 

**_Nina_ **

_ Hey, the guy from yesterday is here again, might try to talk to me in between sets… Drop by during your break, please?  _

She put her phone away, her fingers hovering over the keyboard and quickly introduced herself and her set before the guy or his friends had the chance to do or say anything. Each set usually consisted of four songs. She had planned to play Justin Bieber’s new album today, as they had written on the chalkboard outside the shop. But, because of the unwelcome presence of the guy from the day before, Nini decided that she would change things up a little, dedicating her first set to the memories she made in the last month. The one month break that she had spent with Ricky, getting to know him on a whole new level as she slept over at his apartment a few times a week, waking up to his curly mess of hair in the morning. She was getting closer and closer to being sure that they really loved each other, in the things they did for each other and the intimacy they shared. She started off with Never Not by Lauv, changing some of the lyrics to fit their relationship.  _ We were so beautiful, we were so lovely. No other magic could ever compare. _ Following that, she continued with Ricky’s karaoke guilty pleasure, What Dreams Are Made Of by Hilary Duff, and the song that he’d played for her on the beach, Gotta Find You by Joe Jonas. 

She wrapped up the set with Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift, simply because Taylor Swift was just superior. She changed the lyrics of the chorus too,  _ Look at me with brown eyes, baby as the lights go down. _ As she sang the last chorus, she realised that Ricky hadn’t come in yet; she deflated a little, knowing that he probably didn’t check his phone since he was doing his job. Nate had come out from behind the counter, and was leaning against the counter, watching her sing with a smile on his face. She smiled back at him, heart swelling as he told her he was proud of her. She closed her set, said her thanks and headed to the cafe counter for a glass of water, which Nate happily got for her. “You did great, Nins, I’m so proud of you,” He hugged her over the counter. “Yea, you did great, although it wasn’t Justin Bieber,” a voice quipped from behind her. Nini sighed, knowing it was the guy from yesterday. She was a lot more confident today, since she was with Nate now. “You’re looking even hotter than you did yesterday, doesn’t she, Nate?” Nate’s eyes narrowed at his comment about his sister, who did this guy think he was. Nini involuntarily pulled her hair out of her ponytail and ruffled it down. “Damn girl, you’re really begging to be kissed.” Unfortunately for her, he thought she was flirting with him. She straight up buried her face into her hands at this point. 

Nate was angry, launching into protective older brother mode. “Excuse me, Charles, I wouldn’t talk about Nini like that in front of her brother.” _Ah, what a typical mainland boy name._ _Charles_ looked around, there was no sign of any other male customers or staff in their vicinity; he shook his head at Nate, “Don’t sweat it bro, no brothers around to hear any of this.” Nate clenched his fist tightly, and deadpanned “You are talking to her brother right now.” Charles’ eyes widened at the revelation, and was left speechless. “Now, get out of my shop, and I don’t want to see you around here ever again.” The group of mainland boys scurried out of the shop quickly, squeezing past Ricky who was walking into the shop. 

“Hey y’all, what just happened?” He gestured toward the crowd of guys who were leaving the shop. Nini burst into a giggly fit as she told her boyfriend about how Nate had set them straight and chased them out. Ricky thanked him, though he didn’t need to at all; Nate was protective of his sister whether or not he was in the picture. 

“Sorry I was late, Nins, I was doing beach patrol when Red called me to come over here.” He nuzzled his forehead into her hair. “You had better get back to your job, then. Thanks for coming over to check on me, you’re the best.” She leaned into his chest as his arms wrapped around her small frame. 

“Walk me back to the tower?” Nini grabbed his hand in hers, and pulled him toward the entrance. She would do anything to spend more time with him. 

* * *

  
  


“I don’t wanna go,” Nini pouted at Ricky and Nate; Nate was, as usual, her designated stylist and Ricky was just mere support for his girlfriend. “Nini, you’re a Roberts, what are people going to say if you’re not there?” Nate threw a pillow at her, standing at the edge of her bed that was closest to her closet. Nini leaned the crown of her head into Ricky’s shoulder and groaned, “But, we aren’t even club members, why do we have to go?” Ricky ruffled her hair awkwardly, not knowing to do between the siblings’ disagreement. “Nins, get up, stop being a brat; you are going to Midsummer’s tomorrow with the family, Gina, EJ and Sarah will be there too. Ricky should leave soon too, it’s getting late.” Nate hung up the outfit for her next to her door and exited the room. He had no tolerance for his sister’s whining, she whined about Midsummer’s every year but this year, maybe it was because Ricky was here, she was extremely whiny and had the nerve to throw a tantrum. 

“Nina, why don’t you want to go?” Ricky nudged her lightly; he didn’t know what this Midsummer Party was, neither was he invited by anyone or the Roberts. “It’s this stupid party the rich people throw every year at the Kukui'ula Country Club. It’s for people who spend tons of money to buy their membership only. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t rich like those people; like yea, we live comfortably but we can’t afford that stupid membership. It’s not like we need it or anything. Like, why do the Roberts need-” Ricky cupped her face in his hands, cutting her off, “Nina you’re rambling…” Nini closed her eyes and groaned again, “Sorry, I’m just so over this. Anyway, my Dad did some interior design stuff for one of the rich dudes from before he got rich, so our family gets invited. Now, my parents are just hellbent on maintaining relations for the sake of my dad’s business. But, I hate being the prized daughter, Nini Roberts, having pretentious conversations about my dad’s business or Nic’s surfing or Nate’s business. I usually hang with Nate but since he got engaged and started his business, he’d had to look after Emma so he has no time for me. Sorry, I’m rambling again, I just really don’t want to go.” Ricky enveloped her in a hug, he didn’t really have any words for her situation; it sucked, that was the truth, but she also didn’t have a choice. 

He hated that he had to leave her that night, but he was on duty the next day, he needed to rest. Nini had burrowed her head into his chest, arms wrapped around his torso tightly, refusing to let go, “Nina, I got to go, else Nate is going to come after me.” Nini let out a whine, when she was reminded about her angry brother and the reason why he was angry at her. Ricky ran his fingers through her hair, “Hey, I tell you what. Tomorrow, you go to Midsummer’s with Nate, Emma and everyone, and then after that, you can come over to mine for ice cream and cuddles. How’s that?” Nini leaned in to kiss him, a smile growing on her lips, “Deal.” 

Nini put on the dress that Nate picked out for her, a navy bodycon dress with sparkles, a gift from Gina that she’d never worn since she received it; she’d never tell Gina that it was too sparkly for her liking. She put on some makeup and curled her hair, transforming into the perfect Nini Roberts for the world to see. As she held the last strip of hair in the curling iron, she saw Nate in the corner of her eye, leaning against the doorframe. Nini turned to her brother wordlessly, still holding her hair in the curling iron. “I know you think the flower crown thing is stupid, but Emma made you one this year,” Nate walked up to her; she finally released the curl from the curling iron and let him put the flower crown on her head. Another requirement she hated about Midsummer’s, the goddamned flower crowns that they made girls wear. Usually, she would loathe having to wear a headdress but this time, her sister-in-law had made this one for her. Nini slapped herself internally for being a brat the day before; her brother and wife clearly just wanted to help make the whole party more tolerable for her, and instead, she threw a tantrum and was ungrateful. She hugged her brother, apologised to him and let him drag her to his car for the party. 

Kukui'ula Country Club was on the South side of the island, not too far off from Poipu beach. “Nate, can we drop by the beach for a short while?” Nini pleaded with her brother, who was behind the wheel. He pulled up at the beach wordlessly, and she grinned, jumping out of the car with haste. “Oh my gosh, Nate, she left her shoes in the back seat,” Emma laughed at the girl’s antics; Nini would tell her that no one in their right minds would wear their heels onto the beach. No one. Nini ran to her curly-haired lifeguard who was standing on the beach and squeezed him tighty in a hug. “Damn Nina, you look really pretty.” He dropped a kiss on her head, welcoming her presence, “We’re still up for tonight, right?” Nini leaned in to whisper into his ear, “Of course, I can’t wait to spend the night.” Ricky nudged her nose at her playfulness and was about to kiss her when they were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Nate was calling her, to get her back for the party. Nini kissed Ricky on the lips lightly and turned away to return to Nate’s car. Ricky pulled her back to him for one more kiss, “Go be Nina Roberts, okay?” She smiled at him and ran back to the car.

The party went decent, Nini hung out with Gina, EJ for a while before she stuck with Sarah for the rest of the night. Sarah protected her from Gina getting her drunk, and asked her to dance when the dinner had ended. Both of them shared the same feeling of missing their boyfriends when they had to protect each other from thirsty rich boys. The night had gone by pretty quickly and it was finally safe for Nini to sneak out. She’d told Sarah her plans, so that she could help her cover up. Unfortunately, for Nini, her ninja skills weren’t advanced enough to get past Nate. He caught her sneaking off to Poipu beach and simply asked if Ricky was there waiting for her. “He asked me yesterday. Tell him to text me when you see him and when you guys reach his apartment, okay? See you tomorrow, bug.” 

Nini walked out of the entrance of the country club and immediately ripped her heels from her feet; standing the whole night in those shoes was less than ideal. She walked-ran to the parking lot in front of Poipu beach and saw her boyfriend leaning against the hood of his car, staring at the phone in his hand. He must have heard her making her way to him because he looked up, staring right at her with the biggest smile on his face. Ricky pushed himself off the car and met her halfway in the parking lot, spinning her in the air. “You did it, Nina, you made it through Midsummer’s.” He took the heels from her hands from her with one hand and held her hand with the other. “Well, seeing you earlier today and remembering our deal helped a whole lot,” She tipped toed to kiss him on the cheek. 

As they arrived at his car, Nini tugged the door to the passenger seat open, and was surprised when it was locked. She turned to Ricky, signalling for him to unlock the door with his car keys. He settled her heels on top of the car, and reached into his pocket for a moment before pinning her against the door of the passenger seat, kissing her passionately. Nini smiled into the kiss and let him kiss her, kissing back with as much fervour. She ran her fingers through his curly hair, as he kept his hands situated at the sides of her waist, caressing her softly. They were interrupting again by the ringing of Nini’s phone. 

“What?” Nini huffed breathlessly into the phone, clearly annoyed that she had to stop kissing Ricky. “Nini, are you with Ricky yet? It’s been fifteen minutes since you left.” She made a silent thanks in her heart when her brother didn’t pick up on her shortness of breath, “Yea, I’ve been with him for a while already. Why?” She mouthed  _ Nate  _ when Ricky asked who was on the line, and switched to speaker mode, so that Ricky could hear her brother’s nagging. “Nini, I told you guys to text when you got to his car.” Nini leaned into Ricky’s chest and groaned, while his hand remained at the side of her waist. “Sorry Nate, we’ll text you when we get back, I promise,” Ricky intervened, kissing his girlfriend’s cheek tenderly. They hung up the phone and Nini pulled Ricky’s shirt to close the space between them for another kiss. He gave in to her for a while before he pulled away, “Nins, we’ll finish this later, let’s get back to the apartment first.”

During the car ride back to Ricky’s apartment, Nini told him stories about this year’s Midsummer’s; the fun time she had with Sarah, and the not so fun part having to pretend to be interested in business talks and faking smiles — he laughed at her silliness as she exaggerated each situation. Ricky made sure to text Nate when they arrived at his apartment complex, earning a reply with a thumbs up. 

She readily jumped into the bathroom to remove her makeup and for a hot shower, while Ricky set aside a clean old shirt for her and one of the cute shorts she had left at his house the other day. Nini soon emerged from the shower with the towel wrapped around her hair in a turban, the shirt swallowed her figure as it usually did when she wore his shirts. Ricky was lying in bed on his side, shirtless, phone in hand; she jumped into bed behind him and kissed his arm, “ Are we finally going to get ice cream now?” 

“Give me a moment, I got to finish up something first,” He ambushed her lips, pulling her down as he lay flat on the bed. Her hair tumbled out of the turban and fell onto his face, a giggle erupted from her lips as she broke apart from him. Ricky chucked the towel away and pulled her back to kiss her again, and Nini moved to straddle him. He flipped them over and nuzzled his nose into her, pressing one last kiss on her lips. “Let’s go get some ice cream.” 

Nini scoffed, “Seriously, that was what you needed to finish?” Ricky shrugged, “I promised you I’d finish it after we got back, I had to keep my promise.” She rolled eyes good naturedly but had a smirk on her face, “You sure you’ll ever be done with this?” 

“Actually, no, I never want to be done kissing you.” 

The rest of the night was filled with ice-cream flavoured kisses, a movie and shared body heat as they cuddled on the bed. Ricky had fallen asleep first, as he did on any other day. He had to get up early the next day anyway, he had been convinced to take EJ’s morning shift so that he could get some extra zz-s after a Midsummer’s fling. Nini spent the rest of the movie — all the way till the end of the credits — studying him, who was deep asleep. His hair was messy as usual, but looked a little lifeless without the sea breeze blowing in it. The light from his laptop bounced off the contours of his tanned face. His jaw was loose, mouth gaping a little, but still the most handsome boy she’d been with. The silence in the room was deafening as the end credits song came to an end; Nini realised then how much long she’d been staring. She shut the laptop close before snuggling into Ricky’s shoulder, willing herself to fall asleep too. 

Ricky woke up the next day when his alarm went off, before the sun rose, to Nini’s hair splayed out across his forehead. They weren’t the cuddle-in-bed type of couple, even though it was one of Nini’s romance fantasies; she was the type that starfished in her sleep and was too sensitive to sounds when she slept. Her limbs were extended to all four corners of the bed, and she didn’t even budge at the blaring sound of his alarm. Ricky took in the view of his sleeping girlfriend before planting a kiss on her temple, then slid out of bed into the bathroom to get ready for his daily morning run. 

As he scrolled through his notifications, he realised that his lock screen wallpaper was different from his wallpaper yesterday. Ricky had used a photo of Nini’s silhouette against the sunset from their first beach date as his lock screen, home page and chat backgrounds; he was a simple guy, one picture of his pretty girlfriend was sufficient. This morning’s wallpaper was a photo of Nini pretending to sleep next to him; she had taken the photo last night when he had fallen asleep first. He chuckled softly at the photo, he had to admit they looked really cute in the photo even though it was completely not representative of their sleeping habits. Ricky took one last glance at his Nina before heading out the door for his run. 

Alas, he returned to a similar sight of Nini sleeping, except it was different because she had shifted in her sleep into a rather compromising position. The brunette had escaped the covers, the blanket was tossed over to the side of her body, and she starfished diagonally across the bed, making use of every space available in the absence of Ricky’s body. The shirt she was wearing had rode up, exposing her midriff and pj shorts that fit her bum snuggly. The curly-haired lifeguard scoffed when she reached over to her right, in an attempt to find the warmth of Ricky’s body, whining when she was met when the feeling of cold sheets. She still didn’t stir from her deep sleep though. 

Ricky continued with some pull-ups and other body weight exercises; his job required him to stay fit and in shape, not that he was complaining anyway, he loved to exercise. As his breathing got more and more ragged, sweat rolled down his face, Nini’s alarm rang rudely throughout the apartment; he was sure that his neighbours would be able to hear it too. He laughed out loud at how her arms flailed around to find the source of noise that was her phone. In the name of being a considerate neighbour, he picked up her phone that was on the dresser opposite his bed, and held it close to her face; her flailing eventually hit his arms, a little too hard, but finally, the loudness of the alarm was replaced by Ricky’s breathing, in attempts to catch his breath. 

“Morning, babe,” Ricky whipped out his phone, smiling slightly at the new wallpaper again, before snapping a photo of the mess of Nini on his bed. She groaned when she realised he was taking photos and sat up immediately. She went over to lean her forehead against his abs but stopped herself when she remembered that he was sweaty, like really sweaty. “You should get up now, the sunrise is really pretty today,” He ruffled her hair before he stepped into the shower to rinse the sweat off his skin; she held his hand and kissed the back of his palm right before he left her side, cringing at the taste of his sweat. Ricky laughed again, Nini was just too cute. 

Nini dragged her tired body out of the bed, wincing when her calf muscles were sore from wearing heels to the Midsummer party. She went over to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of water as she looked out of the window, at the pinkish sky as the orange sun rose above the horizon. Ricky showered quickly and emerged from the shower in no time, decked in surf shorts and a towel around his neck. The couple made breakfast together and ate as they watched the sun rise into the heights of the sky. They spent a brief part of the morning spacing out as Ricky strummed his guitar lightly and Nini hummed along softly. It was way too early for Nini Roberts to process any thoughts, let alone carry out a conversation; and when she thought about it later in the afternoon, it warmed her heart that Ricky understood and let her be. 

Ricky dropped Nini back at her house before heading to Poipu beach for morning duty; she needed to showered and get changed for work at Seas the Day. Nini climbed over the centre console of the car to straddle her driver boyfriend and gave him a long kiss. His left hand caressed her from the small of her back down to the waistband of her pj shorts, his right just on the side of her waist. “Wanna come in for a coffee?” She taunted him. Ricky’s apartment only had instant coffee, which he had thrown out ever since getting to know Nini and Nate, who would never let him drink — he quotes the Roberts siblings on this — “brown water that tastes like trash”. His staple source of coffee, now, was obviously from Seas the Day or the Roberts’ household; he was ever thankful for their generosity to him, as they kindly offer him free drinks everyday of the week. 

Their fingers were intertwined as Ricky let Nini lead him to her kitchen and leaned against the counter, watching Nini work her barista magic on the coffee machine. She noticed him staring and blew him a kiss flirtatiously, causing a laughter to erupt from within him. As they sipped on their coffees quietly, Nini fiddled with the ring on her index finger; it had been about three weeks since he’d given her the DIY ring and she was more than used to the feeling of the woven band on her finger. Ricky took her hand in his and kissed the back of her palm softly, like she did with his earlier that morning. He chugged the rest of his coffee and stood up, signalling that he had to go. Nini’s lips formed a slight pout, “Your duty doesn’t begin for more than an hour, Ricky…” He rubbed her waist comfortingly, “I wanna clock in some swim training before duty starts today, Nina. I’ll see you later at the cafe, okay?” 

Ricky leaned in to give his girlfriend a goodbye kiss and she held his chin, just so she could kiss him a little longer till they met later that day.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Nic Roberts was back in town for a week before he would take off for his next destination in the World Surf League championship; Nini was extra happy to have her brother back, she was even more thankful that his arrival was a quiet one. He had learnt his lesson from his second world tour to not post about returning home until he was back on tour, else he wouldn’t have been on his island home. 

The Roberts siblings had planned a bowling night at the only bowling alley in Kauai, down at the East shore in Lihue; they used to go there a lot when Nate and Nic were in high school, but their visits became a lot less frequent when Nic qualified for league. 

Sarah had put on the WSL jersey Nic had given her, boasting that her boyfriend was a WSL surfer. Nini, on the other hand, had convinced her brother to wear a cap so that he wouldn’t get noticed by tourists; though that effort went down the drain when they saw Sarah decked in his jersey when they met her at Lihue. Thankfully, no one really took notice as his cap cast a shadow over his face in the dimly-lit bowling alley, Nini could breathe a sigh of relief. 

“This place is nothing like the ones in Oahu, huh?” Emma asked Ricky, who was standing with her a distance behind the group of siblings and Sarah; the boy was surveying the area cautiously, she wouldn’t blame him — the only bowling alley was not the most well-maintained place in Kauai. Ricky shook his head and laughed, “Well, it sure isn’t, but I kind of like it.” The blonde haired girl simply rolled her eyes at him, “You mean, you like it because Nini likes it…” He shrugged in response, she wasn’t entirely wrong anyway; but, in defense, it was cosy and not crowded. Nate walked over to them and slung his arm around his wife’s shoulder, “So, Ricky, are you good at bowling?” The curly-haired boy could only smile, “I try to be.” 

Turns out, Ricky was on par with Nate and Nic, they were getting strikes and spares. Emma and Sarah were not too far off either, with a rare gutter ball. Nini was just, as proven in every game night, not the best at games; although it was clear from her first bowl that she couldn’t care less about winning. Ricky had doubled over laughing at her bowling posture, as she stood feet wide apart to throw the ball with two hands. Nini felt cheeky when she saw the amusement she’d brought Ricky and with each time she walked up to their lane, she changed up her throwing technique, earning fits of laughter from the group. In her most recent attempt, she stood back facing the lane, feet wide open and proceeded to throw the ball between her legs. Some crazy luck she had, Nini managed to hit nine pins, more than she had on any other turn she took. She squealed excitedly and jumped into Ricky’s arms excitedly. “Nina Roberts, you cheeky girl.” Nic found the sight of the couple really cute and whipped out his phone to take a photo of them as Ricky kissed his sister’s cheek, earning blushes from them when they separated. 

“I’m going to get some cheese fries, you want anything?” Nini stood up to head to the snack bar, and offered to get Ricky something. He, in turn, offered to go with her, taking her hand and kissing the back of her palm. When they were much closer to the snack bar, away from the lanes, Nini wrapped her arms around Ricky’s neck and tipped-toed to kiss him on the lips. His thumbs rubbed the sides of her hips, as he smiled in amusement. He pulled away after a short while and studied her pouty face in more amusement, “Nina, you’re really really cheeky.” She crinkled her nose in response, “In my defense, I really want cheese fries. But, I really wanted to kiss you too. I just didn’t want to hear about it from my brothers.” Her lips pressed into a thin line as she justified her actions. Ricky leaned in to kiss her again, “ Nina Roberts, you are something else.” 

He waited for her over at the drink dispenser as she purchased the cheese fries. As he observed his girlfriend, he realised for the first time that night that her smile was a little short of reaching her eyes and her gaze uneasy as she spoke to the cashier guy. Nini put on her brave face as she walked back to where Ricky was standing, offering to feed him a fry drenched in cheese sauce. He let her pop the fry into his mouth but his eyes were brimming with concern at her changed demeanor. “Let’s head back?” She attempted to sweep it under the carpet, turning to walk back to the group. Ricky figured that he would get it out of her later.

The rest of the night, Nini spaced out in the direction of the racks where the bowling balls were stored, giving a pass on a few games in the name of “enjoying her cheese fries”. She wasn’t fooling anyone though, the snack was largely untouched as she got lost in her thoughts. Her bubble burst when Ricky enveloped her in a back hug. “You doing okay, Nins? You’ve been a little spacey,” He kissed her hair lightly. Her eyes were wide and apologetic when she turned to face him, it was clear to him that she didn’t know how to put her thoughts into words. The brown-eyed boy stroked her cheek with his thumb, in an effort to express his concern for her. “We’ll talk about this later?” Ricky didn’t want to force her into talking about anything she wasn’t comfortable with. Nini found it in herself to shake her head, disagreeing with him, going over to the whatever-the-machine-that-spits-the-bowling-balls-back-to-you-is-called, tapping Nic on the shoulder. “Nic, we’re going to head to the photo booth. Help me tell Nate and the rest if they ask,” Nini pulled her boyfriend over to the kiosk near the entrance and pushed him to sit down, standing in between his legs, opposite him in the small space. Ricky reached up to comb his fingers through her hair as she took a deep breath before speaking. 

“So, remember when Nate told you about my crush on my neighbour Keoke, and that he proposed to me when we were six? I actually asked him out after homecoming, but he rejected me saying that I was so perfect and he was not good enough for me; it was a whole load of bullcrap. He promised me that he would work hard to be good enough, and he would be back for me when he was. Apparently, the standard of good enough was Nic Roberts, another whole load of bullcrap; Keoke left for Oahu and began training for the WSL Qualifiers, the last I heard he was doing pretty well. And, his brother, the cashier guy, just told me he was back to win me over.” Nini looked at Ricky, she didn’t know how to better tell this story — as much as they had been talking and getting to know each other, for some reason, they never mentioned their past relationships; this was the beginning of many conversations. An unidentifiable emotion flashed in Ricky’s eyes as he stared at her silently, there was no telling what was going on in his mind. “Ricky, say something please.” Nini was so afraid that she messed up this special relationship they had. 

He held her hand softly, thumb brushing over the ring on her index finger, “So, what happens now?” Nini swallowed hard hesitantly, with no answer to Ricky’s question. “Nina, I don’t know what you want me to say. Do you want me to tell you that I want you to stay with me, or do you want me to let you go so that you can live out your childhood love romance?” It was her turn to remain silent as she contemplated their relationship, and Ricky’s heart rate started accelerating as he became more and more uneasy at what they might become when they left the bowling alley today. 

“What should I say, Nina?” 

Nini opened her mouth to respond and closed it, losing the words that she had for him. The past three months in this relationship with Ricky was beyond amazing, their six month friendship had brought her so much happiness — her brothers would argue that the last time she’d smiled so bright was when her mom and dad first let her start surfing. His kisses blew her mind away, and the way he treated her was like no other person. But, the boy from her childhood was now in front of her; she’d thought of this moment more times than she could count. Tears welled up in her eyes in her distress and she started shaking a little.

Her hesitation was killing Ricky and the air in the booth was starting to feel more and more suffocating as their bodies were still in close proximity. His chin was lowered and eyes closed as he thought of her long brown hair splayed out on his picnic blanket when she took a nap on the beach during their first date. Those were the times they were rather carefree, it felt like them against the world. He didn’t even know if he loved her yet — he really admired her, he was immensely attracted to her, he wanted the best for her, she made him want to be a better person — but he hadn’t said the L word yet. His heart ached at the thought that she might no longer be his, and Ricky began to realise that the reality that their relationship might end that night was a reality he was not ready to accept. 

“Nina, you know, I think I might love you.” He heard her breath hitch in her throat, knowing that he had caught her off-guard. The tears in her eyes rolled down her face, and in that moment her mind was blank except for the fact that she felt bad for crying, when she was the one causing Ricky pain. 

“I’m not sure what is going to happen after we walk out from this booth. Just know that, I truly want the best for you, okay? Whether or not it includes me or not,” He reached over to kiss her cheek and Ricky could taste her tears. Their tears mixed as Nini pressed her cheek against his for a short while, until he stood up and walked out of the booth. 

“Wait, Ricky, don’t go, please,” the brown eyed girl emerged from the booth, running to hold her boyfriend’s hand so that he couldn’t leave her yet. He looked back at her longingly, sort of expectant at what she would say next. Nini’s voice was caught in her throat, and her arms snaked around his neck, standing on her tippy toes to capture his lips in a kiss; it was as if she needed some convincing that Ricky was the best option for her. She could feel his yearning in the kiss, and her heart broke a little when he pulled away quickly. “Nina, I love you but I can’t do this if I don’t know if you’re going to choose me,” Ricky let out a whisper, which was all he could manage at the moment. She looked into his eyes apologetically, heart clenching when he called her  _ Nina _ like he always did. “Give me some time, please. I really like you, Ricky, I do. These past months have made me so so happy. But, I just need to sort out my thoughts,” Nini held his face in her palms, looking into his sad eyes. Ricky leaned his forehead against hers tiredly, knowing this might be the last time in a few days that he got to do it. It took everything in him to finally separate himself from her and walk back to the group, grasping the uncertainty of the future of their relationship. 

Nate was the first to welcome Ricky back to the group, the initial question of where his sister was was long forgotten when he saw that the curly-haired boy’s eyes were red from crying. He pushed Ricky out into the parking lot to talk to him, glancing at his sister with a frown on his face, wondering what on earth went down in that photo booth. Emma was hot on their heels but stopped when she saw Nini and the look of despondency on the small girl’s face. She enveloped her young sister-in-law in her arms and stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort as she cried into the older girl’s shoulder. 

“What happened?” Nate crossed his arms, looking at Ricky who was leaning on the hood of his car. The lifeguard inhaled sharply, “Keoke’s back for Nina.” The Roberts boy’s eyes widened as he cursed under his breath.  _ Shit _ , just when Nini was doing fine without him, he had to come back. “If it counts for anything, I’m rooting for you.” Ricky let out a low chuckle, “Well, it would count if you were making the decision for her. Unfortunately, that’s not our case right now.” The guys fell into a silence blanketed with unspoken pain, knowing that they had little control of the situation before them. 

“You love my sister, right?” Nate asked; he already knew Ricky’s answer but, he wanted to hear it himself. “Yea, I do,” He was proud of Ricky for responding with little hesitation. “Then, don’t let her go.” The boy against the car shrugged, “She wants time to think, I need to give her space.” Nate shook his head, not agreeing that he should keep a distance from her. If he understood Nini’s psychology, he knew that she was a girl that wanted to be pursued. He relayed this information to the curly-haired boy and a look of distress covered his face. “Don’t worry, I’ll try to make this work for the both of you. I really like you for her, you make her so happy.” Ricky relaxed a little, and smiled at his girlfriend’s brother, “She’s made me so happy too.” 

Nini confided in Emma, Sarah and Nic as they sat around her, listening to the sequence of events that played out in the past fifteen minutes. Nic was chewing on his gum on the side of his mouth as he heard his sister mention Keoke, frustrated at how she was giving that guy a chance, “Nini, please don’t be stupid, you can’t get let him back into your life again.” Anger and hurt flashed in her eyes as the words escaped from his mouth; she wasn’t being stupid, she just didn’t know what she wanted in a relationship. Right? “Nini, you’re not stupid,” Sarah defended her, making a small smile creep up her lips, “But, you’re not a mere prize to be won. You’re worth so much more than the WSL qualifiers, or any achievements that anyone could ever have.” 

Nini stood up from her seat; as much as she appreciated Nic and Sarah’s input, she just needed some time to herself to clear her head and make a decision. She walked out of the front doors, to see Ricky’s car pulling out of the parking lot. The oldest Roberts watched as his friend left to return to his apartment for some rest before his shift the next day, heart aching for Ricky for having to go through this mess of his sister. Nini sighed at the sight of Nate’s back view, her desire for silence and solitude going down the drain. He turned back to return to the group in the building and was slightly taken aback when his sister was standing in front of him. He softened when she looked lost, her frame even smaller than it usually was. “What’s going on in your mind, Nins?” She walked over to lean on the hood of his car next to him, “I don’t know… My mind is pretty blank right now.” It was totally uncharacteristic of him, but he threw his car keys over to her, “Go take a drive, and take some time to think. I just have two things I want you to consider: why do you like Ricky, and will you be able to let him go.” Nate kissed the girl’s brown hair and slowly retreated to return to the building. “Text me where you go, ok? And don’t take too long…” Nini smiled at him, grateful for the space he was giving her. She slipped into the car, hands gripping the steering wheel. There was only one place she was going to. 

Nini dropped by her home to take her guitar with her. She sneaked into her room from the window that opened into the backyard, so that her parents wouldn’t ask why she was home without her brothers. She ditched the car and took a walk along the beach, heading towards the docks. It was their place, they’d spent many nights talking and gazing at the sky there, and it was a place that Nini let herself be vulnerable. As she slowly walked to the harbour, she thought about Keoke and the life they had as neighbours and friends. He was someone who shared Nini’s love for the ocean and surfing, and saw her for who she was beyond the younger sister of Nate and Nic Roberts. They’d grown up together, played house together and Nini liked that she didn’t need to be someone she was not when she was with him. He was driven and did anything he could do accomplish his dream, she admired him for that. He was good-looking, had strong family values and he liked her. But, as she contemplated her relationship with Ricky, she realised he was all of those things too, and more. He respected her relationship with her brothers, this came as a surprise to Nini because it was the first time that her brothers really liked the boy she liked. He took in all her strengths and flaws and didn’t hesitate to call her out on anything. He understood that she was human and wasn’t perfect, they even promised each other that they’d navigate every mistake made together. He was protective of her, but wouldn’t be selfish to keep her to himself because  _ Kauai needed Nina Roberts _ . He knew her as Nina, Keoke knew her as the perfect Nini Roberts. 

_ Ricky Bowen.  _

Her heart knew that no one would compare to the person he was for her. She would never not think about him. 

Nini took her spot at the end of the pier, legs dangling off and guitar in her lap. She was deep in her thoughts, thinking about Ricky and wanting him to be there with her at that moment when the sound of a car engine switching off rudely interrupted her. Nini sighed as knowing that her solitude had ended, she mentally crossed her fingers wishing that it wasn’t a couple that came here to make out or something. Her eyes met those of the person who was walking down the pier toward her, mind going blank when she saw a familiar figure looking right back at her.

Nini dropped her guitar, standing up to greet the boy standing her, words caught in her throat. He simply wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek into his shoulder.

Ricky’s arms wrapped around her waist hesitantly, he should have known that she’d be here; the place was their favourite place to busk in the silence and be vulnerable. “What are you doing here?” She whispered in his ear, her breath grazing his earshell. “I could ask you the same thing,” He whispered back, admitting to her that he couldn’t sleep and needed some fresh air. Nini pulled him in a desperate kiss, one he willingly succumbed to, unable to think straight and pull away. “I love you, Richard Bowen.” His breath caught in his throat, and he melted into Nini’s lips once again. “Are you sure, Nina? I mean, I love that you love me but it’s only been a few hours since-” 

“I love you, Bowen. And, no childhood crush is going to take me away from you,” She smiled at him. He studied her face and her smile reminded him of their first date, again, when she looked so happy that he had remembered her favourite childhood song. Nini’s gaze quickly dropped when she realised what she had put Ricky through that night. “Ricky, I’m sorry,” She apologised softly, scared to look him in the eyes. Ricky looked at her incredulously, “Why are you apologising, Nina? You didn’t do anything wrong.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and lifted her chin to make her look him in the eyes. Nini shook her head, “I shouldn’t have had to choose between you and anyone else. I’m sorry that I put you through the pain and fear of losing me.” A warm feeling grew in the boy’s heart, “Babe, there’s nothing wrong with being confused about how you feel or what you want. You’re just eighteen, you have a life ahead of you, a lifetime of choices and mistakes to make.” The girl knew he was right, “At least now, I’m sure of what I want.” Ricky was proud of his girlfriend for coming to her own decision, and he was confident that she would own her decision — he’d help her in making sure her choice was the best possible thing she’d chosen. 

“You haven’t talked to him, right?” Nini shook her head, kind of relieved because she wasn’t sure that she was ready to see Keoke again. “Are you sure you don’t want to hear his side of the story before you make a decision?” Ricky asked, his voice laced with doubt; as much as he wanted to be her choice, he was afraid that she had chosen too hastily. She shook her head again, “Sarah said I’m not a prize to be won, and she’s right. I deserve to be treated like a human being, not a trophy. You treat me better than anyone else has, babe, I don’t need anything more.”

He pulled her into a hug, hands cradling her head, “That’s my girl.” 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Nini and Ricky had planned a date to a quaint lodge hidden in the depths of the Waimea Canyons on the day that Ricky was off duty; the girl had pleaded with her brother and sister-in-law for a day off, which they rewarded her with for “making the right decision”. 

She brought him to the Kōkeʻe Lodge to show him around the area that she had grown up in. Ricky had a stupid idea of acting like tourists for the day and requested that they wore tropical print clothes — they weren’t about to fool anyone though, everyone at the Lodge knew Nini was a Roberts girl. The girl’s heart fluttered with excitement when they coordinated their outfits for the first time, while her brother cringed at their choices. They were more affectionate than they’d ever been, ever since confirming their love for each other. The way they looked at each other was different; not that you couldn’t see their love for each other in their eyes before, but it was all the more evident now. 

They had a nice alfresco dinner as the sun set, the band playing music in the background as the couple ate and talked. “Ricky,” His girlfriend called out to him and he lifted his head to see her sticking a fork in his face with some of her steak on it. His eyes softened at the sight of her thoughtfulness and he leaned over to take the bite that she offered. Ricky continued admiring the girl sitting opposite him, with as if time was paused in his world, the pasta on his plate long forgotten. “Why are you staring?” Nini teased when he turned quiet and his movements slowed down. Ricky blushed when he got caught, but told her truthfully, “I’m just thinking how lucky I am to be able to call you mine.” It was her turn to blush as he opened up to her honestly. The evening could not have gotten any better. 

When the sky darkened, the fairy lights installed around the large plain field lit up, creating a romantic atmosphere. Ricky pulled her up to dance next to their table, while Nini resisted, not wanting the locals around to have to witness Nini Roberts dance when everyone else was peacefully sitting down for dinner. “Nins, you owe me a dance from Nate and Emma’s wedding.” She finally relented as she unwillingly recalled the disastrous night when her relatives grilled her about everything that was happening in her life. He put her arms around his neck and held her waist gently, swaying her from side to side to the soft beats of the music. She looked up into his eyes, the smile on her face mirroring his, and they spoke in whispers to each other, breaths hot on their skin. 

There was a group at the far end of the field, who started becoming rowdy as the night deepened and their inhibitions lowered. The couple had sat back at their table, enjoying some dessert as they shared about their reasons for not going to college. As they came to a common consensus that high school sweethearts probably wouldn’t last through college, Nini got distracted from their conversation — the rowdiness and noise was getting rather annoying. She turned over to give them a glare, although she knew they wouldn’t see her and it wouldn’t do anything to shut them up. Ricky laughed at the perpetual pout on her face, and stroked her cheek lovingly. She leaned into her boyfriend’s touch, pout dissolving into a cute smile, directed at him. 

Nini was talking about Nic’s surfing when Ricky seemed like he wasn’t listening anymore; it was clear to her that something else had his attention. She ruffled her hands through his head, massaging his scalp lightly, causing him to finally look at her. The question to ask him what he was thinking of was on the tip of her tongue. However, he must have read her mind, answering the question before she spoke, “They’re talking about you.” Her eyebrows were raised in shock, as she took the sublest glance as she could manage at the noisy table. She was about to tell him that she didn’t know any of them, but Ricky held up his index finger to his lips, then pointed to his ear, telling her to just listen. 

“Of course she’s going to take me back, she’s only ever had eyes for me. Nini’s expectations are low; if she liked me when I was a small fry, she’ll be more than ready to take me back now that I’ve worked my way to WSL.”  _ Keoke _ . Nini could recognise that voice anywhere. It suddenly occurred to her that she did, indeed, know those people at the big table; they were basically Keoke and his football friends. With regards to the part of their conversation that she finally listened in on, even though her heart was already set on Ricky, the way Keoke blindsided her was still a stab to her gut. The small girl went over to her curly-haired boyfriend and settled herself in his lap. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist and he kissed her neck, whispering into her ear, “Your expectations aren’t low, Nina. You want to and deserve to be treated well.” Ricky pressed cheek against hers, trying to comfort his noticeably distressed girlfriend. 

While he was attempting to lift Nini’s spirits, the truth was that his blood was boiling at Keoke’s blatant disrespect for his childhood friend. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as skilled at hiding his anger from Nini because she could tell that something was off by the way he quickly turned quiet -- he usually would do anything in his capacity to talk and distract her, or get her to talk about what she was feeling; doing neither threw her off slightly. She turned her body to face him, and kissed him fully on the lips, “I’m glad I chose you.”

“I’m glad you did too,” Ricky relaxed into her body, which was pressed into his, and leaned in to kiss her again. The conversation that initially held their utmost attention, that stirred up feelings that were uncalled for during their date night, was long long forgotten as the couple got lost in the feeling of the other’s lips against theirs. 

For the rest of the night, Nini stayed in her place in Ricky’s lap; the feeling of his body warmth, despite the warmth of the summer night, was the most comforting, even more so knowing that Keoke was in the same premises as they were. The band was offering an open mic, and song requests and the couple watched as Keoke walked up to the stage to request a song. They were shocked at his choice of song, cringing at the thought of Justin Bieber’s pre-puberty voice as the band sang  _ Baby _ . Nini, in particular, groaned when Ricky yanked her body away from his as he threw himself into the rap section; just like Keoke always did when they were growing up. “Babe, calm down please?” Lucky for her, he immediately noticed the twinge of sadness in her eyes and snuggled back into her neck, letting go of his indulgence in the rap. 

As the song came to a close, the lifeguard could feel a pair of eyes on them and he was sure that his girlfriend could feel it too. “I think he’s staring at us,” She murmured into his curls, and he stroked her back softly. Ricky actually wanted her to talk to her childhood friend, tell him once and for all that she was taken and no longer his, so that she could get closure and maybe, he’d leave them alone. But, he also felt highly troubled at the thought of letting Keoke talk to Nini alone. He nudged her a little, “Babe, can I sing a song for you?” Her grip on him tightly a little, before it dropped all together as she gathered her hands in her lap. The thought of her boyfriend singing for her in front of her childhood crush was an amusing idea, so she let him go. 

As he plucked the strings of the guitar he borrowed from one of the band members, a smile grew on her face when she recognised the song he was going to sing, Never Not by Lauv. He modified the lyrics exactly the way she did when she’d performed this in a set a month ago.  _ There’s a room in my heart with the memories we made, there they are and they’re still in their frames.  _ He looked into her eyes as he sang, a glint in his eyes told Nini that her brother must have told him about the set and, or, showed him a recording of this song. Nate had always told her that he loved that she dedicated a set to Ricky, even though he wasn’t there to listen to it. Her hands cupped her cheeks and rested her elbows against the table, as he sang to her. 

She felt a body standing next to her, and needless to say, she knew that it was Keoke. Nini inhaled sharply,  _ she wasn’t prepared for this. _

Ricky continued smiling at her as he sang, in a way to assure her that it would be okay. Nini’s thumb instinctively rubbed the ring that was around her index finger, wishing that he wasn’t on stage and beside her to hold her. “Cute boy toy, you have there…” Keoke made his presence known, settling into the chair opposite her. She pushed herself off the table, and leaned back into the chair, crossing her arms across her chest, in a physical rejection of letting her body be close to him. “He’s not a toy, he’s my boyfriend,” Nini’s voice came out thinner than she hoped it would. “He does know that you hate things that draw attention to yourself, right?” Keoke smirked, boating his knowledge of her as her childhood friend. She sighed, “You do know I’m not the same person I was three years ago right?” Keoke doubled over in a laugh, one Nini took as mockery, “Nini Roberts, you’ve been the same since we were five. You aren’t going to fool anyone.” This was not the reunion that either of them expected; while Keoke had been expecting Nini to be more or less the same as when he had last seen her, Nini didn’t quite know what to expect. One thing was for sure, she did not expect him to become so egoistic. Keoke was a rather sweet guy, considerate towards Nini, which was why she had hesitated when she heard that he was back. “Even though that’s not true, I wish that I could say the same about you,” She retaliated in the same small voice. The boy opposite her was visibly taken aback at her firm comeback, and Nini turned her attention back to Ricky, who was singing the chorus sweetly, deciding she didn’t want to engage in this spiteful conversation. 

“How have you been, Nini?” He decided to change the topic to a less antagonistic one. She merely shrugged, not knowing how much to divulge; he used to be a safe place to confide in, but she really wasn’t sure now, “I’ve been okay… I guess? I had to deal with the drama of the school knowing that you rejected me, although that died down quickly, thank god. High school was mostly as usual, drama and studying, not that you would know anything about it.” It was true, he’d converted to online school to accommodate his training. “I ended up deciding to not go to college, but Gina and Kourt are going to colleges in New York next month. I’ve been happy with my relationship with Ricky, Nate got married and now, I’m here, I guess. What about you?” She hoped that he wouldn’t notice her lack of interest in him, she knew herself that she asked out of mere courtesy, and for the deflection of attention away from herself.

“Well, I’ve been surfing, a lot. Oahu has been great, I’ve met so many good surfers who have taught me so much. I was really happy to place decently for the qualifiers, and it sets me up nicely for next year. I hadn’t really seen Nic in Oahu though, was he there?” Nini was highly unimpressed at the mention of her WSL high-flyer brother, even more so because Keoke was supposed to know she didn’t like to breach that topic. “He just goes wherever his coach takes him, but he’s been visiting a lot more this year, to spend more time with family and his girlfriend.” She made a subtle jab at him, who never saw the value in spending time with his family. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch on and was only concerned about the time that Nic was losing, saying that it was time that he could have spent training for the WSL Championship tour. 

At this point, Nini was done talking to him, his hunger for success was pushing her off a cliff. Thankfully, Ricky was coming down from the stage already, requesting the bill from the waiter. He took note of her slouched posture and her fiddling with the ring he had given her and decided it was best to interject and save her from the conversation with her friend. 

“Nina, I brought you a glass of water,” He placed the glass in front of her and kissed her hair, arm flung around her shoulders, giving a small squeeze. His girlfriend took the glass, whispering a word of thanks, before turning to him with a smile, remarking, “Aha- getting a lil fancy with the lemon.” He combed his fingers through her hair, laughing at their inside joke: as a cafe staff herself, she thought lemon water was pretentious, though she’d serve it anyway, because it was the only water that people usually accepted. Ricky loved the scowl on her face when she recalled the number of times tourists commented, “Ooh, tropical,” at a lame glass of lemon water. 

Of course, Keoke didn’t know any of that, and raised an eyebrow when they burst into a giggly fit over lemon water. At least, for his benefit, the skepticism he felt when he heard Ricky call her by her birth name instead of her nickname was covered up by his confusion at their inside joke. He cleared his throat, in an attempt to get their attention, Ricky noticed this and asked her to introduce them. 

Keoke launched into protective best friend mode — Nini would assure you he had lost the right to call himself that — asking Ricky all the basic questions like what was his job, whether he surfed, and not so subtly added in his WSL stories to boost his own ego. The girl interlaced her fingers with his, and squeezed his hand every now and then, indicating she was highly uncomfortable with the conversation. 

The breaking point came when once again, Keoke mentioned her brothers, asking if he had met them yet. The Roberts girl couldn’t even bother to hide the dissatisfaction on her face as her childhood friend spoke. Ricky’s hand was stable on her lower back as he casually answered the question, “Nate and Nic were really welcoming, they’ve invited me to dinners, we’ve gone for drinks together too.” Keoke was slightly surprised, “Really? Her brothers are really protective over her being around any boys. Except me, of course.” 

Ricky didn’t even have the time to respond to that statement because Nini beat him to it, “Ricky’s been to game night. Haven’t you, Ricky?” While Ricky knew that game night was exclusive to the Roberts siblings, he didn’t know that Keoke had never been, especially since he and Nini used to be really close. “The Roberts are exclusive like that, not just anyone gets to join us,” Nini said, in response to the burning question she saw in her boyfriend’s eyes. He squeezed her hand, like she did his, in gratitude for Nate and Nic’s hospitality to him and support for them as a couple. Keoke’s face visibly hardened, Nate and Nic were always rather friendly with him, but despite Nini’s close friendship with him and her whiny and wide-eyed pleas, they never allowed him to come to game night, saying that it was for family only. He had only ever heard stories about the fun they had every month, but never joined in the fun. His jaw clenched as he dwelled on the question of how Ricky managed to charm even the Robert brothers.

“Look, we were really good friends, I used to have a crush on you. Those are memories that we both share but that’s all they are: memories, things of the past. I love my life right now, and I love Ricky,” Her boyfriend pressed a kiss into her temple, “I don’t have low expectations or whatever that you think of me; I love my brothers but, being their sister is not all there is to me.” She reached over to put her free hand over Keoke’s, whose hands were clasped together. “I hope you get where you want to go, I hope you get the success that you want, and I hope you move on, like we all have.” 

Nini considered making him leave so that they could enjoy the rest of their date night at the Lodge, but the thought of Keoke watching them from his table disturbed her, “We’re going to head back now. Bye Keoke, enjoy your night with your friends.” Ricky let her pull him back to the car, hollering a “It was nice meeting you, Keoke” at the surfer boy. He back-hugged his girlfriend when they reached the parking lot, “I didn’t know your brothers were so exclusive about game night.” She smiled at him, knowing that he would bring it up sooner or later. “You know our circle is tight. Sarah didn’t even join us until she and Nic had their first anniversary.” Ricky felt like he was learning so many new things about their family that night, “Then, how did we get me there after getting to know me for barely a week?” She honestly had no idea, “Maybe they just had a gut feeling that we had something special.” He spun her around and cupped her cheeks to kiss her, “That, we had.”

As they stopped next to Ricky’s car, Nini leaned against the passenger door and pulled his collar to close the gap between their bodies. Her eyes rolled close as she saw his face get closer to hers, breath hitching when his lips brushed against hers. When their noses touched, she lifted her head to press her lips against his, met with equal pressure from him, and placed her right hand around his neck. Their lips moved against each other’s, Ricky’s thumbs pressing into her hip bones, rubbing softly. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone, and giving a chance for Keoke to talk to you,” He apologised as he rested his forehead against her. Nini let out a sigh, “It’s okay, I just hope he takes the hint.” She held his hand up to her lips and kissed the back of his palm, “I love you.” Ricky smirked, pulling her into his chest and kissed the top of her head, “I love you too.”

The night was young, and they didn’t want to head home yet so Ricky drove them to the Waimea docks, their favourite place till date. Nini spent the whole car ride on her phone, texting someone, but Ricky didn’t mind because she sweetly kissed his shoulder from time to time. When they reached the harbour, she helped take Ricky’s guitar out of the back seat, and slung it around her body, laughing when the strap was too long for her. He pulled out his phone, snapping a photo of the ridiculousness of how ill-fitted the guitar looked on her, as he laughed along with her. 

They settled themselves on the pier, the guitar in Nini’s lap, she strummed a repeat of the four basic chords softly. Ricky sighed into the ocean in front of them, “Aren’t we boring, Nins? We keep coming to the same place over and over again. Sometimes, I feel like you deserve better.” She shook her head, the same four chords on repeat, “I love it here. And, I think we’re better off saving money for your rent.” He stroked her cheek lovingly, feeling thankful that they could find joy in simple things. 

“You know, I was texting Nate on the way back. I asked him why he let you come to games night, because honestly, I wanted to know as badly, or even more than you did,” Ricky smiled slightly; of course she would go ask Nate, “What did he say?” He was nervous about what Nate said, Ricky had been able to hide this from Nini because it never came up in their conversations, but now that the cat was out of the bag, he hoped she wouldn’t flip. “He said you told him and Nic you liked me the night before that Friday, and asked for permission to pursue me, that’s why Nic asked you to join us for games night,” Ricky nodded, acknowledging her brother’s testimony, and she slapped his chest a little harder than usual, “How have I never heard of this before?” He winced at the sting in his chest, “I mean it wasn’t like I purposely withheld this piece of information from you, it just never came up in conversations, or you never asked?” Nini rolled her eyes, there was no way she could ask about something she didn’t know about, “So, tell me more, since Nate decided to expose you.”

Ricky groaned into his palms when she put him on a spot, “I liked you since I first saw you at Poipu. I mean, I only saw you once last year, but I’d never seen anyone that was so nice to the lifeguards; and, of course, you were really pretty,” Compliments were a norm from him, but she couldn’t help but feel a rise blush rise up in her cheeks, “Seeing you at the party was the first time that things felt like they were going well for me in Kauai, it was a rough few months trying to get used to being on my own. The more I got to know you through the week, the stronger my attraction got. So, I asked your brothers if it was okay to continue hanging out with you and work my way toward a relationship eventually. I think your brothers were kind of shocked that I even asked,” Nini affirmed his thought, “Yea, no one’s done that before, not even Keoke.” He smiled and his arm around her waist, “I could tell you guys were really close and it was only right to ask. I’m glad I did though, I’m glad I’m with you now.”

“I hope you don’t think that I targeted you at the party, or that my only agenda was to “get the girl”,” He looked into her eyes sincerely, “I was attracted to you, yes. But, getting to know you as the days and weeks and months passed, I’ve fallen in love with so much more than your pretty face.” Nini leaned over to kiss his shoulder, touched by his heartfelt confession.

She let him pull her into his lap, the corners of her lips turning upward into a smile as he nuzzled into her neck, “I’m glad too, I’m glad I chose you.”


	4. fall (I)

The crowds at the cafes and beaches died down as September came; summer was over and school was starting for all the tourists. It was a lull period and the Hawaiian locals had their island back to themselves again. It was a crazy day at the beach, business at the cafe was rather slow — no one really came outdoors that day because it was raining cats and dogs. There was a lightning alert so the lifeguards had closed the beach and were confined to their little tower. EJ was taking a nap while the newer lifeguards were filling in paperwork and the senior lifeguards headed to the gym to get some exercise in. It was a slow day, and a chilly one too, winds exceptionally strong. Ricky was texting Nini, who was bored out of her life due to the lack of customers in the shop. 

**_Nina_ **

_Tim the new barista is cooking us lunch today, I hope we don’t get food poisoning_

He laughed at her skepticism of the poor guy’s cooking skills; his girlfriend, although kind and generous, rarely believed the good in people in their early encounters. He quickly typed a reply and clicked send. 

**_Ricky_ **

_Well, I would kill for any food right now, we’ve had lunch but guys will be guys_

Nini was leaning against the counter, telling Emma about the movie she watched the night before when her phone pinged a message from Ricky. She pouted as she read the message he had sent; it was something she expected, knowing EJ’s and Red’s appetites. However, hearing it from her boyfriend made her heart ache a little. She wanted to bring him food but the weather was really terrible, and he wouldn’t want to put her in any danger. 

**_Nina_ **

_Aw, poor you. Let’s hope the rain stops so you can drop by for some sandwiches and coffee._

They exchanged a few more texts before she told him she would text again after she was done with lunch. Ricky smiled sadly as he read her text; another one of Nate Roberts’ things, he didn’t like it when anyone used their phones at the dining table — something about how food brings people together and how we should have good conversations while eating. In the cafe, Nini was scrambling around the kitchen to get some ingredients to make sandwiches. The time it took to send those few texts was really the time that she managed to hold herself back from taking some food to the lifeguards who were stuck in the tower. Nate saw her grab a stack of sandwiches, a bunch of bananas, four bottles of coconut water, a tray of four coffees, a large umbrella, “Slow down, buttercup, you’re seriously going out in this weather? Does Ricky know about this?”

“Please don’t tell him, he doesn’t know. I want to, please let me,” Nini gave her signature pout and sad eyes, causing Nate to roll his eyes. “Just let your sister make her own decisions,” Emma jabbed him in the ribs, and proceeded to joke, “Just know that we’re not going to baby you or let you off work when you do fall sick.” The brunette’s jaw dropped at her sister-in-law’s savage comment. They layered her in two layers of sweaters and helped her get into a poncho for extra protection, concern for her showing: they really didn’t want Nini to get drenched and fall sick. Nate whispered over to Emma, telling her he would text Ricky so he was ready to receive her, not wanting to prolong the time that his sister would be in the rain. Ricky replied with a thumbs up and shocked face emoji and a question asking if Nate really allowed her to go, to which the Roberts replied, “She pouted.”

A considerable amount of wading through puddles and climbing the stairs to the tower, Nini reached the door to the tower. She mentally crossed her fingers that they would hear her knock and raised her fist to make her presence known. Just as she was about to knock on the door, it swung wide out, a view of her curly-haired boyfriend greeting her. He pulled her in quickly, closing the door promptly, and wrapped her in a towel to dry off the poncho and her exposed legs. Red and the other lifeguard, Noah, greeted her with a ‘Hey Nini’, eyes lightened up when they saw the stash of food she was carrying.

“What were you thinking, going out in this heck of a storm, coming all this way?” Nini would have cupped his cheeks and kissed him if she could, but her hands were full, “I brought you guys food!” Ricky helped remove her poncho, and saw the amount of food in her hands, astounded at the amount of food she was cradling with her small arms. Red and Noah stood up to help her put down the bags of food while Ricky held her hands in his, pulling her closer to him and kissed her fully on the lips, “Thank you, Nina. How did I get so lucky with you? I can’t believe it,” She hugged his body close for warmth and murmured into his chest, “Well, believe it, cause you’re stuck with me.”

“Stop it, lovebirds. Nini, as much as I love that we are beneficiaries of your relationship with Ricky, seriously, stop. We don’t want to see any of that.” Noah dismissed them, as he took a sip of coffee, waving his arms dramatically at them. The couple burst into laughter and kissed again, for good measure and for the sheer delight of hearing Noah’s groans of complaints. 

EJ eventually stirred when the smell of coffee wafted into his nose. “Good morning, Caswell,” Red mocked. He liked to joke that EJ was a rich boy, a slacker at work — of course, he didn’t really think that of him; EJ was hard working despite his wealth, but they always liked to tease him about being able to get away with anything. “Good day to you too, Red,” The tall guy rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, “Hey, Nini, what are you doing bringing coffee in the middle of a storm?” 

The girl leaned against Ricky’s side, “I heard you guys were hungry, so I had to.” The curly-haired boy kissed her head, as he was reminded how sweet she was. EJ caught it and rolled his eyes at them, “Hey guys, maybe we should just leave and let Ricky and Nini watch the tower for the rest of the afternoon.” Noah threw his head back, laughing, while high-fiving Red, who said that “it wasn’t a bad idea”. Nini hit the back of EJ’s neck, threatening to never bring him food ever again, to which he said, “I don’t believe you. You’re the sweetest girl on the island, you’ll never not bring me food.” Ricky kissed her hair again, affirming his friend’s remark. The rest of the guys shook their head, resting their case against the couple’s display of affection. 

Nini stayed with them as they chowed down the sandwiches and fruit she bought, and was about to get back in the poncho to head back to the cafe when she got a text from Nate asking her to stay in the tower with Ricky. Her older brother would never stop worrying about her, he said something about her not catching a cold, to which she sighed, lamenting that he was too worried again. Ricky pulled her into his lap, much to the other guys’ distaste, and explained Nate’s concerns to her, “The cafe is air-conditioned, remember. The rain isn’t letting up, you’re definitely going to get wet, you don’t have a change of clothes and you’ll catch the cold.” He kissed her shoulder, reminding her to trust her brother; no matter what they thought, it was true that most of the time, he really did know best.

Ricky held his girlfriend’s waist with a strong grip, as the group fell into easy conversation, talking about the things they’d rather do than watch an empty beach in the storm. She was leaning comfortably in his chest and his cheek was pressed against her shoulder. He was happy that everyone was getting along, for one moment forgetting that he was the latest edition to this friend group. Ricky could feel Nini’s body shake against his when she erupted into laughter at one of Red’s comments, and he stroked her waist softly with one hand, phone in the other, scrolling through Instagram. The feed on his screen switched to front camera as a Facetime call from his mother had come in, the phone vibrating vigorously in his hand. He double clicked the volume button, ignoring the call as his grip around Nini’s waist tightened slightly. She noticed this and turned around to check on him; the girl placed a hand on his arm when she saw a look of discomfort in his face. Ricky kissed his girlfriend’s shoulder and urged her to get back to the conversation with the other guys. A few seconds before his phone vibrated again, this time a voice call. 

“What, Mom? I’m at work, make it quick,” Ricky whispered harshly into his phone, and Mrs Bowen immediately retorted that she could hear laughter in the background, “Are you sure the lifeguards in Kauai are doing their jobs right, Ricky? It sounds like you guys are having your own fun.” Ricky had to hold himself back from sighing in annoyance, “It’s lightning alert, Mom. Now, what do you want?” 

“Grandpa and Grandma’s wedding anniversary is in two weeks, we haven’t heard if you’re coming back for the celebration.” Ricky almost dropped his phone, he’d had the family chat on a 1 year mute and hadn’t seen any of their messages about the celebration. He felt bad when he felt like giving it a miss; of all of the family he thought of while he was away in Kauai, he missed his grandad the most. And, he was one of the only people in the family who deserved to be celebrated. Mrs Bowen burst his thought bubble, speaking again, “Well, it’s not like you have a choice. You are coming back, you’re going to buy your own ticket, rent your own place to stay while you’re back and you’re going to buy your own gift for them. Understood?” Before he could even open his mouth to protest, or so even make the tiniest squeak of surprise, she ended the call and his phone beeped in his ear. 

Ricky stared at the screen as he processed what he had just heard; having to buy his own plane ticket, and their present — those were things that he understood were reasonable for him to settle on his own. But, he completely did not expect to have to get his own place or hotel, as if he wasn’t welcome in his own house. He was the only child, for goodness sake, there was no way that there wasn’t space for him. 

He felt Nini’s hands massage his scalp and turned to look at her. The expression on her face, those sad eyes, told him that she’d overheard his conversation. After all, his mother was practically shouting into the phone, of course she’d hear everything. Ricky just shook his head at her, he wasn’t ready to talk about how he was going to afford rent in Oahu, rent was damn expensive. He also wasn’t ready to talk about the fact that he was about to return to Oahu in almost a year, to be bombarded by the Bowen clan about his career and being reminded that he was the runt in the litter. She whispered a “later” and leaned her back into his chest, so that he could bury his face into her neck.

Nini had to leave when the rain subsided, to go back to the shop to attend to customers who were streaming in after the storm. She stood on her tippy toes and kissed her boyfriend goodbye, “You think you’ll be ready to talk later?” He leaned his forehead on hers, “I hope so…” 

“I’ll come over with dinner and we’ll talk about it then, okay?” 

He managed a smile and an “okay” and he watched her figure retreat onto the beach and back to the cafe.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


There was a pregnant silence between the couple as they ate the dinner that Nini had brought from the cafe. The girl was sipping on her ice tea as she watched Ricky toss his greens around the box with a fork, and there she decided that she’d given him enough time and space to think, it was time he told her what he was going to do. But, before she could reach her hand across the table to stop her boyfriend from playing with his food, the phone next to him lit up and began to vibrate loudly, the sound and motion shaking the table slightly. Ricky double clicked the volume button again, ignoring the call.

Nini stood up and walked over to the boy, she wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her cheek against him, “You should’ve answered that.” It seemed like he didn’t have a choice as the phone rang again, this time the caller ID was different from that of earlier in the afternoon. Ricky’s thumb swiped across the screen, picking up the call, and was met with his father’s face. “Wow, Rick, didn’t expect you to get a girl there so quickly.” The couple’s eyes widened as they realised that Nini’s cheek was still pressed against his, and she quickly backed away, creating some distance between them. “Dad, let’s not have this conversation right now. What did you call for?” The exasperation in the younger Bowen’s voice and face was evident. He looked behind him at Nini, reaching out a hand to her, which she took hesitantly, letting him hold her for comfort. “You know, you should bring her along for the Gramps’ anniversary celebration, even though your mom would deadass make you rent your own place now.” 

“Dad,” Ricky deadpanned. “Son, I’m not kidding, you really should bring her, I think Grandad would love to meet her. And, it’s his celebration after all.” Mr Bowen smiled, “I’d like to meet her.” 

The curly-haired boy gave his father a look, which he ignored as he continued to speak, “Ah, look at me talking about your girlfriend like she’s not here. Hey, I’m Ricky’s dad, and you are?” Nini scrambled from her perch on the table into the camera frame, greeting her boyfriend’s father, “Hi Mr Bowen, my name is Nina Roberts, it’s nice to meet you.” 

“Look, both of you, it would be the greatest gift to Grandad if you both show up. And, Ricky, you can’t expect me to see this girl and not meet her in person.” The girl squeezed Ricky’s shoulder, silently telling him that she didn’t mind going. He rejected the idea immediately, “Dad, she’s not going, I can’t afford it. I can’t pay for our plane tickets, accommodation and gift; at least not with the salary I’m getting and the rent that I’m paying for my apartment right now.”

“Look, what if I pay half of it? I swear I won’t tell your mom or Grandma. I’ll fork out Nina’s share so that we can all meet her; or I can pay your half, and you can pay hers, whichever makes you more comfortable.” 

Ricky knew he couldn’t persuade his dad otherwise, “Fine, but only if she’s okay with it.” That said, he gave her a look, as if to say _please say no_. Unfortunately, she did the exact opposite, “Thank you, Mr Bowen. I promise I’ll be there.” Nina waved at the phone, as Ricky’s dad said goodbye and ended the call. Ricky slammed his phone down on to the table and stood up in a hast, cupping the small girl’s cheeks with both his hands, “Why did you say yes?” She couldn’t read his eyes, she’d seen annoyance, reluctance, disappointment and even fear in his brown eyes before; this was the first time that she’d seen this type of emotion. Nini was scared that he was unhappy with her and muttered a “sorry”, but he wasn’t having it. “Nina, I don’t want a sorry, I want an answer, why did you say yes?” His hands grasped her shoulders, and shook her a little, like he was demanding an answer.

Tears welled up in her eyes when she felt the anger in his tone, she had made a mistake, deciding to do something he was uncomfortable with, and now there was no way to undo this mistake. Ricky saw his girlfriend’s eyes glisten with tears and released his hands from her shoulders, arms wrapping around her small figure, “Babe, I’m not angry at you, I’m sorry that you thought I was angry at you.” She let out a sob despite her relief, still shaken up by the unfamiliarity of his reaction. “Your dad just seemed so eager and excited, and you’ve said before that your dad and grandad are your favourite people. I was thinking it wouldn’t be a bad thing to finally meet them and go to Oahu.” Tears were still streaming down her face, but he wiped every tear that fell. “They are my favourite people, I’m glad you want to meet them too.” The curly-haired boy nudged her nose with his, leaning in further to kiss her lips. 

“It’s just having to meet everyone else during the celebration that is humiliating, the feeling you get when everyone is looking at you, and talking about you. It’s bad enough that I have to go through it but you don’t deserve to be talked about amongst my family,” He explained quietly. “I’ll be fine, Ricky. We’ll get through it together, okay?” She ruffled her fingers through his hair to assure him and he kissed her again, “I love you, Nina, so much.” She giggled into his lips, “Good thing you do.”

“You know, Nate and Nic are going to kill me when they find out that you agreed to come with me to Oahu without asking their permission first?” Ricky half-joked as he pinched her cheek playfully, and her eyes widened as she let out a groan, realising that she’d make a terrible mistake. “Shucks, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking about my brothers when I said I’d go,” Nini was honestly genuinely scared that her brothers would flip out on Ricky and turn hostile, like they did to every other boy that disregarded them. “I’m sorry, I’ll handle it. I’ll tell them it was my fault, it’s true anyway, I was the one who agreed. I’m really sorry, I created such a mess, Ricky, with your family and even mine.” 

Nate and Nic had told Ricky the many stories of how guys that approach their sister were never the right fit because they disregarded her family life. But, they had assured him that he’d earned their trust and it was no longer necessary to ask for permission because the answer would always be _yes_. Frankly, that made Ricky at a lot more ease, but on things like these, he could never be sure what they would say. “You keep apologising today, Nins. Stop apologising, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He combed his fingers through her hair, “We’ll tell Nate together, we gotta tell your parents too. But, we’ll do it together, okay?” Nini wrapped her arms around his nice, up on her tippy toes pressing a hard kiss to his lips. Ricky kissed her back equally as fervently, thumbs caressing her waist. 

“Just like how I’ll be with you when we see your family in Oahu,” She murmured onto his face breathlessly, her breath feeling hot on his face. He leaned in to kiss her again, “Just like that.” 

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Ricky had begun to work another job at night to pay for his accommodations and the gift. He was lucky that there was an opening to wait tables at the Shipwreck bar at Poipu, the owner, a frequent visitor to the beach for his daily swims, had offered the opportunity when Ricky asked if he was hiring a dishwasher. They made arrangements so that he could work every other day if he was scheduled for lifeguard duty the next day, and to work full days on days that he was off duty. Ricky had missed out on nights with Nini, managing only to catch her in the mornings during his coffee runs and lunch times at the cafe — on days that he wasn’t waiting tables, he was catching up on sleep or working out to make up for missing his morning workouts. It was needless to say that it was exhausting for Ricky, his eye bags became more and more visible each morning. He managed to hide his tiredness from most people; for most part of the day, he would hide his eyes behind his sunglasses and the bar was poorly lit at night. The Roberts were the only ones he showed his fatigue to, they were extremely supportive about Nini joining him in Oahu. If he hadn’t really leaned on Nini much before, he was definitely leaning on her practically any time possible. She was an encouraging girlfriend, letting him sleep in the staff room for a short lunch break nap and even saved him a coffee before he began work at the bar in the evening. 

One week into this grueling work schedule, Ricky’s body was deadbeat. Nini slept over that night so that she could be the one to wake him up for lifeguard duty; who knew the day would come when their roles were reversed? Unfortunately at 3am in the morning, the couple’s sleep was interrupted by an incessant knocking of the door; actually, Nini was the only one who was disturbed because Ricky was dead asleep as a log. She was disheveled when she yanked the door open and two bespectacled males greeted her, wide-eyed. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry, is this Ricky Bowen’s apartment? He sent us this address but we might have gotten it wrong...” The small girl let out a yawn, “Yea, this is Ricky’s apartment, he's just asleep right now. Is this urgent or could this wait till tomorrow?” 

“We should introduce ourselves, my name is Seb and this is Carlos, we’re Ricky’s high school friends from Oahu,” The one in a maroon shirt kindly stuck a hand out to Nini, which she shook, while letting out another yawn, “Good morning to you both, I’m Nini, Ricky’s girlfriend.” As soon as Seb returned her hand, she wrapped her arms around her body, protecting herself from the chilly air. “So are you going to let us in, Nini?” Carlos, who was decked in a floral print shirt and had sunglasses resting on his head, asked her pointedly. She gave the guys a weak smile, “I don’t think that’s a good idea tonight, Ricky’s been really tired in the past week. He kind of needs his rest tonight.” Nini saw their faces fall, knowing that they didn’t come all the way here to not surprise Ricky. “Would you guys give me a quick moment, I need to get something from inside.” Seb and Carlos nodded, silent with disappointment as they watched the brunette girl disappear behind the door. Nini dug through her bag for the cafe card and whisked herself back to the door. “Here is the address to Seas the Day, a cafe adjacent to Poipu beach. Ricky usually drops by for lunch at 11.30, it would be lovely if you guys could come see him then.” Seb took the card and smiled at her thoughtfulness; he didn’t even know this girl but he liked her for Ricky already. “Thank you so much, Nini, we’ll be there.”

Nini combed her fingers through her hair and simultaneously rubbed her eyes, eager to jump back in bed, “It was nice of you guys to drop by here, but I’m really sorry for the inconvenience. Have a good rest and I’ll see you both soon.” Carlos waved and thanked her after Seb nudged him, “Good night, Nini.” She waved goodbye before crawling back under the warmth of the covers, next to Ricky. She ran her fingers through his curly hair, while her other arm was wrapped around his waist, hugging him close. As she thought of how Ricky would be so excited to see his friends after a long time, sleep overcame her, as did the warmth of Ricky’s body.

  
  


Before Ricky had come in for lunch later that day, he stood by the glass panel to observe his girlfriend for a moment. Her hair was down and it kept falling in front of her face, blocking her vision. He watched as she kept tucking the same tuft of hair behind her ear and she arranged the merchandise in the shop and how it slipped down from behind her ear again and again, defiantly. He laughed at this funny pattern of hers, wondering why she didn’t just pull her hair up in a bun or ponytail. But, either way, he loved when her hair was down, she looked like a mermaid princess with the long wavy locks down her back. Ricky picked a purple wildflower from the nearby bush, suddenly feeling compelled to give it to her, in appreciation of her beauty. Nini’s face lit up when she saw the curly-haired boy walking into the shop, the bell attached to the door tingled signalling his entrance. He enveloped her in a big hug, evoking a squeal from her. Ricky laughed into his girlfriend’s neck as he kissed her exposed skin and his grip tightened around her waist in delight, “You look really beautiful today.” A blush rose up to her face, cheeks rosy as she slapped his chest shyly, “Stop it.” 

“I can’t, you’re just so pretty,” He presented the flower to her, then proceeded to tuck it in her hair behind her ear, seriously hoping that it wouldn’t fall like that little tuft of hair. Nini thanked him with a bright smile on her face and kissed him for good measure. He kissed her back, enjoying the feeling of her lips against his. 

The bell on the door tingled again, signalling the entrance of a customer. Ricky stroked her cheek lightly before heading to the cafe side to greet Nate and Emma, and to get his lunch from the kitchen. Nini almost laughed when he didn’t even bother checking who had come in, the disappointment on Seb and Carlos’ faces making her crack up. “Thanks for coming, guys,” Nini went over and shook both their hands, “Sorry that he didn’t see you guys, he just assumed that it was any other customer.” Carlos rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry, we know that Ricky is just dumb like that,” The amount of diva in his tone amused Nini, she hadn’t seen that side of him earlier that morning. “You guys can go over and take a seat at his usual spot first, he’s probably going to talk to my brother for a little bit.” Nini directed the guys to a table at the back of the cafe that had a _Reserved_ sign on it, and they guys took a seat comfortably, scanning the place with their bespectacled eyes. 

It was not long before Ricky came over and snuck a kiss on her cheek, “Nina, why are there people sitting at our-”, his dumb ass stopping in mid-sentence when he realised who exactly was sitting at their table. “Oh my gosh, Seb, Carlos, what are you guys doing here? And, how do you know Nini?” 

“Really, Bowen? Not even a _Hi Carlos and Seb, I’m glad you’re here_?” Carlos took a sip of water, while staring at him pointedly. “Hi Carlos and Seb, I’m glad you’re here. Happy now?” Ricky deadpanned, “But, seriously, why are you guys here?” Seb sighed, “Can’t we just be here for a holiday and also to visit you?” Ricky smiled brightly at Seb and fist bumped him, happy that they were there to visit him. Nini left them to talk as she went back to watch over her souvenir section of the shop, there was a customer that came in that was looking at the stuff on display. 

“I heard from your cousin that you’re going back to Oahu next week. Why didn’t you tell us?” Carlos put his hand down firmly on the table. “Hey, look, I found out about this last week. And, I’ve been working my ass off to pay rent because my mom isn’t letting me stay at home.” Ricky defended himself. He hadn’t thought to tell any of his old friends that he was going to be back, he’d plan to go there for the Bowen clan celebration then immediately head back to Kauai, back to his joke and stable source of income. “Wow, Mrs Bowen wasn’t kidding when she said she was disappointed in you,” Carlos remarked, and Ricky flinched at his friend’s bluntness. Seb nudged the diva next to him and comforted Ricky, “If you need a place to stay, you can always stay at our BnB, we have spare rooms at the moment, it’s the lull period for everyone now.” Ricky’s eyes widened when he realised his foolishness of not telling his friends earlier. He could have saved himself the trouble and fatigue by crashing at one of their houses. “If that is possible, it would literally mean the world to me and Nini,” He thanked Seb for his hospitality, chiming in that his girlfriend would be there too.

“Speaking of Nini, what the hell Ricky, we didn’t think you’d date this quickly?” Seb inquired curiously. The curly-haired buy just chuckled, “Neither did I man. Of course I didn’t plan on getting a girlfriend but I met her and everything fell into place. She’s incredible, you know?” Carlos shook his head, “Nope, we don’t know. All I know is that she looks cute.” Seb and Ricky both rolled their eyes, Seb interjecting, saying that when they met her earlier that morning, she was the sweetest girl he’d ever met. “She was so thoughtful about you getting enough sleep, so she didn’t let us in. She gave us the address to this cafe so that we could surprise you. I like her for you.” The lifeguard’s eyes were fixated on his girlfriend as she smiled while talking to the customer, the expression on his face mirroring hers, “I like her for me too.” 

“Wait, if you guys were here this morning then how is it possible that Carlos didn’t barge in?” He realised their visit in the morning was short of the usual loud entrance and tackling. “I swear I was this close to pushing away and dragging you out of bed myself, if it weren’t for Seb’s kindness,” Seb placed a hand over Carlos’ affectionately, knowing that he kept him grounded. “Her eyes were so sad, when she talked about you being really tired. That’s when I realised that the girl really loves you, Ricky, and I didn’t want Carlos or anyone to get in the way of that.” Carlos rolled his eyes at the last bit of Seb’s answer, “She’s a keeper, Ricky, don’t be a dumbass and let her go, _please_.” The curly-haired boy shot them a smile, “Of course, I won’t.” 

The trio talked about the plans they had for their week in Kauai, Ricky volunteering to bring them to the quaint lodge that Nini had introduced to him — he insisted that it was an amazing place for a date, to which they then agreed. With the offer of staying at Seb’s family’s BnB, he could finally quit his extra job, get more sleep, spend more time with his girlfriend and show his friends around an island he would now call home. When Nini heard that he wouldn’t have to work at the Shipwreck anymore, she heaved a huge sigh of relief, for both Ricky and herself. He finally could get the rest and chill time for himself and she finally could stop worrying about him working day in and day out and getting insufficient sleep. She’d wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his curly hair, thanking Seb for his generosity. It suddenly felt like everything was going to be okay. 

That feeling didn’t last for long, as Nini realised the weight and pressure of having to meet the entire Bowen clan, not just Ricky’s parents, but the whole family. It was two days before the trip, Ricky was hanging out with Seb and Carlos, they had gone with EJ, Red and the other lifeguard guys to the North Shore of Kauai for night surfing, despite Carlos’ many protests. Meanwhile, Nini was in her room, clothes strewn across the room, lying on her bed, distressed by having to pack for her Oahu trip. It was going to be a rather short trip, spanning only three days, there weren’t that many outfits to pack. As usual, Nate and Emma were in her room, helping her pick options for the meeting with the Bowens. “You look good in navy, so you could wear this dress. But you look good in yellow too, so you could wear that dress,” Nate suggested. “Ooh, I love this purple one though, I think you’ll look so cute in it,” Emma chimed in. The youngest groaned into her pillow, she loved the help but their many opinions and options were driving her crazy. 

“Nina, are you done packing?” Her mom called from the kitchen, and they heard footsteps, knowing that she was walking over to check on them. A gasp escaped Mrs Roberts’ lips when she saw the mess of her youngest daughter’s room. “Okay, both of you, thank you for your help, but out now. I’m going to talk with Nini.” Nate opened his mouth to protest, they weren’t done puttin the best meet-the-parents-and-grandparents-and-the-family outfit together for her yet. Emma pulled her husband by the elbow, telling him that they could continue later. 

Mrs Roberts settled herself on the bed next to Nini and ruffled her fingers through her daughter’s hair, “How have you been feeling, Ni?” The girl adjusted herself to put her head in her mom’s lap, “I don’t know, I’m kinda scared. What if they don’t like me?” The older woman smiled at the younger’s worry, recalling the feeling of meeting her own in-laws for the first time; not that Ricky and her daughter were going to get married, but it felt the same anyway. “Isn’t it the same with all Roberts gatherings, where aunts and uncles who see you once a year judge you for every decision you’ve made since you were four? Every year, I see you gracefully answer every question they ask you, every comparison they make between you and your brothers, every insult they throw at you; you’ve been confident and full of grace.” She stroked her daughter’s cheek as she looked into her eyes. “Baby, every year I tell you how proud I am of you for just being you, _Nina Roberts_. Be proud of who you are, and if they don’t appreciate you then it’s their loss. You and Ricky are in this together and that boy will defend you to the ends of the earth.”

A tear escaped Nini’s eyes as she heard her mother’s encouragement, “Thanks Mom, for always loving me as I am.” They shared a hug and Nini cuddled into her mom’s embrace, feeling like a little girl all over again. “Don’t worry about what you’re going to wear because you look beautiful in everything.” The older woman scanned the room, looking at all the dresses on the floor and picked up a simple white one, handing it to her daughter. “Thanks Mom, I wear it and think of you.” 

  
  


With Nate and Emma’s help, Nini’s room was finally reinstated in its original order, her luggage packed and ready to go. She’d sent her boyfriend a text to check up on his status, night surfing, and a reply pinged over quickly.

**_Ricky_ **

_We’re all tired and ready to leave right now, but guess who’s still waiting to catch another wave?_

A laughter erupted from Nini when she didn’t even need to guess who it was. Of course, it would be Carlos, who was so against the idea of night surfing. She was midway of crafting a reply to Ricky when he ended up calling her. “Hey, I really want to hear your voice right now so I just called.” A smile lit up on her face even though she knew that he wouldn’t be able to see it, “It’s Carlos, isn’t it? He’s finally fallen for the charm of night surfing?” Ricky expressed that he was proud of her guess, “Yea, that dumbass still doesn’t want to come in yet. I’m chilling with Red and Noah while the rest are still going at it. How has your packing been going?” Nini let out a tiny squeal, proud that she managed to get everything done that day. She told him about how Nate wasn’t very helpful, to which he laughed and wasn’t surprised about. She also told him about her mini heart to heart talk with her mom, “She told me to be myself and everything would be fine. I still don’t know about that though.” Ricky could hear the lack of confidence in her voice, and wanted so desperately to be with her, hold her and tell her how amazing she really was. “Don’t worry babe, they are going to love you, you’ll probably be the only thing about me that they’d be proud of,” He half-joked, knowing that it was an outcome to be anticipated. 

“Just remember whatever happens, nothing is going to change between us, okay. I’ll always love you, Nina.” 

Nini went to sleep that night, thoughts still jumbled up in her head, dreaming of every possible scenario that could happen during the celebration. She could only hope her name _Nina_ would bring her the same fate it promised; favour and grace. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Nini’s hand gripped Ricky’s as they walked out of the arrival gate with Carlos and Seb, heading to Seb’s BnB on the North Shore. She squeezed his hand nervously when a car pulled up in front of them and a group of people streamed out to greet them. Ricky let go of her hand and stroked her cheek lightly, and then proceeded to hug the friends who came to the airport to welcome him back to Oahu. He returned to her side shortly, looping his arms around her waist and kissed her temple sweetly; he could feel her trembling body press against his, so he stroked her waist slightly, in an attempt to calm her down. It was undeniably overwhelming for Nini to be surrounded by so many unfamiliar guys, the last thing that Ricky wanted for her was to be scared. “Guys, this is Nini, my girlfriend. Nini, these are my lifeguard friends,” She tucked her cheek into his shoulder as he listed off the names of his friends and she shook their hands with a smile. The guys helped to load their bags into the trunk before everyone piled into the car; everyone except Carlos, because he felt better off in an uber, and headed straight to his own home. 

The girl was situated on Ricky’s lap as the car was one seat short of comfort. She sighed slightly, not knowing if she could endure the situation for the entire half an hour drive. While the others were engaged in conversation, catching Ricky up with the situation at the North Shore, the curly-haired boy sat up and leaned into close to his girlfriend’s ear, whispering, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that the word spread that I was coming back, I swear I didn’t tell anyone.” Nini shot him a look, and pecked his lips, “It’s okay, I’m doing okay.” She slowly got a little more comfortable as they engaged her in conversation, asking her about her job, school and how she and Ricky had met. He made sure to continue to assure her that he was there, drawing circles on the small of her back, kissing her every now and then, earning hollers from his friends. 

When they finally reached the North Shore, the couple and Seb alighted from the car, grabbed their stuff and said goodbye to the rest. Ricky and Nini’s fingers were intertwined as Seb gave them a tour of the BnB complex. It was a rather big space, like a villa, except they were only entitled to one room and were required to share the common spaces. The last room that Seb showed them to was their room, with a king bed and bathroom attached; there was a side door that led to the pool and from the bed, you could see the view of the beach. Finally, he left them to their own devices to unwind and unpack and Ricky pushed his girlfriend onto the bed, kissing her with desperation. Nini giggled into his lips but tugged him down by the neck, legs wrapped around his waist, to pull his body closer to hers. “I can’t believe you’re here in Oahu with me,” He pulled away, forehead still touching hers, and looked into her eyes. “Do you wanna walk around and explore, or do you wanna stay here and continue with this?” There was a glint in his eyes and he leaned in to kiss her again. Nini pushed him slightly, hands on his chest, “I love kissing you, but let’s go explore. I can’t wait to see the island you grew up on!” 

They visited the supermarket first, Nini just wanted to see the types of things they sold there, then walked across the North Shore. If it was the lull period for tourists in Kauai, it was definitely not the case there — the beaches were full of people sunbathing, hanging out with their friends or engaging in water sport activities; it was a sight that the both of them had seen enough over the past few months. The ocean, however, was quite different. The waves were surging, the ocean teeming with surfers and jet skis. Ricky put his sunglasses on Nini — the poor girl had forgotten to bring hers out — so that she could see the rip tides and surging clearly. He pointed at the surfers and jet skis, explaining to her what they were doing: the jet skis were meant for rescues. Many a time, people would come to Oahu wanting to surf but not being skilled enough to surf the waves on the North Shore. The lifeguards would stand by on the jet skis during the sets, ready to pull anyone back to shore. Nini watched as Ricky spoke passionately about the things that lifeguards on the North Shore had to do, about how their jobs were so important because lives were at stake. She could honestly feel he had a sense of longing to work on the North Shore in Oahu from the way he talked about the beauty of the Pipeline and absentmindedly stroked his cheek affectionately. Ricky noticed this and kissed her cheek, “What?” She shook her head, telling him that there was nothing wrong, “I just love to see you in your element, and how much you really love lifeguarding. But, it makes me think that Kauai is holding you back.” 

He held her chin and pulled her face closer to his, “But, Kauai gave me you. And, you make me a better lifeguard there, than I’ll ever be here.” It was a slight hint, or throwback to the first tension between them and how he had learnt how to interact better with the visitors while still being alert on duty, for her. Hearing that, Nini leaned in to kiss him again, holding his biceps firmly, pressing her body close to his. 

As they continued to walk along the never-ending beach line, Ricky opened up about his childhood memories of when he grew up in Oahu. Being back on the island he was so familiar with seemed to change something in him, the past reluctance to talk about his home life, his family and the memories of Oahu was gone, the walls that were previously standing tall were broken down. Nini would squeeze her boyfriend’s hand every now and then as he spoke to show him that she was listening and appreciative of him for opening up to her. She hadn’t wanted to press him to share about his parents or relatives, so she was more than glad that she was getting to hear all of it, the day before she would meet them. 

Nini finally understood that at the core of it all, his family just cared a lot about looks, much like her relatives did; one mistake was all it took for their pride in him to crumble down. She also learnt that Mrs Bowen, who might have sounded like an ass on the phone that day, had it the hardest because of his mistake. It was like she was the failure of a daughter-in-law, who had a son who couldn’t live up to the Bowen lifeguard legend. Unfortunately, holding the fort so that their family name was upheld came with a price: her relationship with her son and husband. The pressure she put on Ricky to live up to expectations and the blame she put on Mr Bowen for ‘misguiding’ her son results in cracks in the glass. Despite all that, it was still about the looks; it didn’t matter if things weren’t amazing behind closed doors, all that mattered was what people saw — a happy family. Nini placed a hand firmly on his back as she rested her chin on his shoulder, telling him she was there for him, and would be there with him the next day when he had to face his family.

They finally stopped walking when they reached the Banzai Pipeline; actually, it was Nini who stopped in her tracks, mesmerised by how blue the water looked against the white foam as the waves broke. Ricky chuckled when he saw her gaping at the ocean, and hugged her from behind, arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her head, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Nini didn’t answer, eyes continually fixated on the ocean. “You’re more beautiful, you know?” She rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, “Don’t be stupid, Ricky, it’s flippin’ gorgeous.” Ricky winced at the pain but couldn’t help say again, “But, you’re still more beautiful.” 

How did she get so lucky?

“Ricky Bowen, I heard you were back in Oahu, but I didn’t believe it until I saw you,” a voice travelled over from behind the couple and they separated apart from each other, turning around to the source of the voice, his hand still on his girlfriend’s waist. It was a girl, with long blonde hair, in a yellow lifeguard rashguard and red shorts. “Hailey?” The blonde girl shrugged at him, “The one and only.” Nini felt her heart constrict in her chest as she watched their exchange, it was clear to her that they knew each other from a while ago. “I made it, can you believe it?” She gestured at her uniform with a smirk, “Apparently, the senior lifeguards heard you were coming back and they want you back at the North Shore, you know?” Ricky interlaced his hand with Nini’s and gave her a squeeze, “Hailey, this is Nini, my girlfriend. Nini, this is Hailey, we trained in the junior lifeguard programme together.” Nini gave the girl a small wave, intimidated by her force; after all, it wasn’t every girl who could become Ocean Safety. Hailey didn’t really acknowledge the brunette who had greeted her and proceeded to place a hand on the guy’s shoulder, “Think about it, okay? Maybe it’s time to come home and live out your childhood dream, Ricky.” With that she turned away and sauntered back to her post. 

The curly-haired lifeguard placed his hands on either side of Nini, thumbs stroking her waist, “I’m not coming back here, at least not yet.” A frown grew on her face, “It’s your dream, isn’t it. Maybe Hailey is right, it’s time to live out your childhood dream.” Rick cleared his throat and cupped her face, making her stare right into his eyes, “Hailey was the girl that I was fooling around when I screwed up,” Nini held her breath, unsure what her boyfriend was about to say next, “She was the one who told me to stay with her, that other people could do the rescue. She was the one who influenced the ruin of my career in Oahu. I’m not about to believe her when she suddenly believes in the work that I do. I think I’m doing fine in Kauai, with the support of the right people, who motivate me to become better at my job.” He pinched her cheek gently. 

“I know you don’t want long distance, Nins, and neither do I.” Her eyes widened slightly, “But we haven’t talked about this before, how would you know?” Ricky smiled slightly, of course she wouldn’t know how much he really observed her, “Babe, I see how you look at Sarah when Nic is not home, and how the question of _how_ is always on the tip of your tongue. I know you don’t want that.” Nini’s expression softened at his observance, “I could always move here with you, you don’t have to stay in Kauai with me.” Suddenly, it was as if they were jumping into the deep end, and Ricky hadn’t seen that coming, “Hey, hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, Nina. It’s barely been 6 months since we've been together, let’s just take it slow and enjoy each other’s company for now okay?” He saw her face fall a little, he couldn’t tell if it were out of relief or disappointment, “We’re young, Nina, we have our whole career ahead of us. For now, I just wanna kiss you till the sun goes down.” Nini let out the breath she was holding, wrapping her arms around his waist, unsure of what to say, just thankful that he chose her, like she did him. Ricky lifted her chin to look her in the eyes, kissing her till she couldn’t breathe. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Nini’s hands were sweaty and lowkey shaking when she applied her eyeliner, and she cursed under her breath when she drew the wing too high, grabbing her makeup remover to rub the error away. 

“Nins, you done yet?” Ricky knocked on the bathroom door, startling the poor girl, causing her next attempt at a winged liner to go off-tangent again. She groaned, picking up the makeup wipe to rub the mistake away again. Her boyfriend heard her frustration and took the liberty to open the unlocked bathroom door; she usually never took this long to get ready, makeup or not, and he was starting to get a little worried. The curly-haired boy was shocked when he was met with the sight of tears rolling down her pretty face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Ricky enveloped the girl in a back hug, arms wrapped strongly around her waist, kissing her cheek as he looked at her reflection in the mirror. Nini placed the cap onto her liquid liner and threw the pen into her makeup bag, resting her head against his chest, “I suddenly suck at makeup, I can’t even look good for your family.” He took her face in his hands, wiping the tears of frustration from her cheeks, “You look amazing, Nins.” She let him kiss her, hands clasped as she could feel them still trembling. 

Ricky pulled away, worried because her lips were shaking the entire time, and her hands weren’t wrapped around him like they usually were. “Are you okay? You’re shaking, love,” He took her hands in his, squeezing them to assure her that he was here for her. Her head was dipped low, the girl unable to look him in the eye. One of his hands lifted to tilt her chin upward, so that her gaze met his, “Talk to me, Nina.” Nini let out a shaky breath, finding the words to express her fear of meeting the Bowen clan. 

“I… What if…” She needn’t say anything more; Ricky pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, her cheek buried in his chest. “Why did I even agree to do this?” He heard her whisper into his chest, albeit muffled, but he still managed to make it out anyway. His heart hurt when she doubted herself and the decision she had made. “We’ll get through the day together, okay?” 

“I’m just as scared as you are, love. I don’t know who everyone’s going to react to me bringing a girl back from Kauai, I don’t know what they are going to think of my career or the person I’ve become in my time away.” Ricky admitted, tucking his chin into the crown of her head. “I’m sorry, I made this about me, when I’m supposed to be a supportive girlfriend for you,” Nini intertwined his fingers with hers, snapping out of her insecurity. “You’re only human, Nina, your heart is fragile too. We got each other, okay? I’ll support you as much as you support me.” She let go of his hands, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him senseless. He pushed her into the bathroom wall, one hand pressed into her hip, the other playing with the hem of her white dress. She giggled into his lips, pulling away slightly, “You’re so cheeky,” Ricky merely grinned at her, relieved that her spirits were lifted. “Why don’t I get ready quickly so that we won’t be late and make a bad impression?” He let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, assured that she was finally feeling a little better than she was a moment ago. 

Nini emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later with the perfect makeup: winged liner, eyeshadow, mascara, contour and lipstick, and her hair curly in soft waves. Ricky’s jaw dropped slightly, the last time he saw her like this was Midsummer’s and it wasn’t for a long time. He knew immediately it was going to take him a whole lot of effort keeping his eyes and hands off her throughout the day. Nini laughed at his expression, flipping her hair playfully, “Take a photo, love, it’ll last longer.” The girl burst into laughter when he immediately acted upon her words, whipping out his phone camera to snap some shots. She pulled him to stand with her in front of the full length mirror next to the bathroom door, grabbing his phone while she placed her arms around her waist; she took a photo of their reflection when he happened to kiss her cheek. 

“Oh no, Nina, we are one of them now,” Yea, one of those cringey couples who took couple photos in the full length mirror at the souvenir shop that Nini managed, she would sneak photos to the lifeguard, usually accompanied with a barf emoji. “Same as the fancy lemon water, baby.” _Touche._

Their hands were tightly intertwined as they walked into the Bowen driveway, Ricky whispered into Nini’s ear, telling her to squeeze his hand whenever she felt uncomfortable, and then proceeded to let go of her hand. Nini stopped him, wrapping her pinky around his until he finally knocked on the door. They had discussed it the day before, it would be easier for Ricky’s family to accept Nini as his girlfriend if they weren’t all over each other in front of them. He hated that he couldn’t stick close to her to make sure she was okay, but it was the only way that she would really be okay. 

Ricky’s dad was the one who answered the door, thankfully, and he gave his son and the tiny brunette girl a big hug, welcoming them to the celebration. “Nina, you are so much prettier in real life. You are a lucky guy, Rick,” He gushed as he ushered them into the house. Ricky smiled at his girlfriend who returned his smile with her own, _one step in the right direction_. “Where’s Mom?” The curly-haired boy tugged on his dad’s shirt like a little boy, Nini laughing slightly at the dependency he seemed to have on his father. “She’s talking with Aunt Gracie and Uncle Kai, I don’t think you should say hi right now. Maybe you can go greet your Grandad and Grandma first, both of you? They are in the backyard.” 

The couple headed to the backdoor in the kitchen, gifts in hand. They were stopped by Ricky’s relatives who shook their hands in greetings, a fistbump or hug from his cousins and smiles from some of the girlfriends. Nini resisted the urge to hide behind Ricky’s shoulder and rest her cheek in his arm. Things were going rather well, the younger crowd largely accepting and fascinated by Nini, saying that she was really pretty and that Ricky had a good catch. They continued to navigate their way to the backyard, where the older folks were. Nini squeezing his hand once anxiously before he turned the knob of the door. One cousin caught this interaction and walked over to them to wish them luck, giving a far warning that Grandma wasn’t in a chirpy mood that day. Ricky gave her a little peck on the lips before they walked out to greet the rest of the Bowen clan. 

HIs grandfather rose from his seat when he saw the curly hair emerge from the back door, a small smile on his face when he saw a girl in a white dress following his grandson closely. “Alana, my boy has a girlfriend now.” The old woman’s eyes narrowed at the sight of her young grandson and the girl behind him, “Look at him, frolicked in Kauai and brought a girl home, what a disappointment.” Ricky’s expression lit up at the sight of his grandad but faltered slightly at his grandma’s displeased look. The old man met the younger boy halfway in the backyard and wrapped his arms around him, “Good to see you, Rick.” Pulling away from the hug, he turned to Nini, “And, is the lovely girl Nina?” Nini’s expression softened as the old Bowen man seemed to be rather approving of her presence, though she was kind of shocked that he knew her name. “Hi Mr Bowen, I’m Nina Roberts, it’s nice to finally meet you.” He pulled her into a hug too, “I’ve heard many things about you from this boy, he really loves you.” The couple blushed, Ricky embarrassed that his grandfather exposed him, he hadn't told Nini that he talked about her with his grandad, Nini finding the situation a little difficult to grasp but appreciative of his support of their relationship. 

“Should we bring her over to Grandma now? Is it safe?” Ricky slipped his hand into hers, despite their pact to keep their hands off each other, especially where his grandparents could see. “Ricky, you don’t have a choice, she’s seen you guys already,” The old Bowen chided the younger one. The three of them walked over to the older woman, whose expression was still as hard as before, if not harder. “Happy anniversary, Grandma,” Ricky handed his gift to her, and kissed her cheeks lightly, just as she’d instructed him to do as a child. “Cut the crap, Richard. Who are you?” Her question was pointed straight at Nini, completely disregarding her grandson. “Mrs Bowen, I’m Nina Roberts, I-” Ricky cut her introduction off, “She’s my girlfriend, Grandma.” He could sense the poison on her tongue as the older woman opened her mouth to speak, an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach at what she was going to say next.

“You, girl, sit with me. You boys, get lost,” Ricky’s grandmother pointed at Nini and gestured to the seat next to her, where her husband was seated before, and pointed at said husband and her grandson shooing them away. Nini and Ricky exchanged a look before the girl proceeded to take a seat next to the older woman, giving him a small wave as his grandad pulled him toward the house. Nini could see the worry in his eyes, neither of them knew what she was about to say; Ricky’s bet was that it was not going to be something nice. In the end, he couldn’t help himself but plant a kiss on her head before leaving her to her own devices, a way to apologise for their situation and give her courage. 

The brunette girl did her best to not glance at her boyfriend who was standing on the veranda, eyes on her as he spoke with his grandfather. 

“Staring at him isn’t going to help your situation, Ms Roberts. I suggest you take your eyes off him and focus on the conversation we are having,” The old woman spoke, her voice cold, causing goosebumps to rise up the back of Nini’s neck.

“Tell me why do you like our Ricky?” Mrs Bowen gestured at Nini to talk. _Our Ricky?_ The question had actually caught the young girl off-guard, she was really anticipating a lecture or scolding or whatever it was, maybe asking about her family or why she was here. Asking about why she liked the Bowen boy was the last thing she expected. If she was surprised, it didn’t show because she barely inhaled before she began speaking, a smile growing on her face. 

“He was the first person who saw me for who I was, and didn’t associate me with my family members,” She felt the older woman’s stare narrow at that statement and waved her hands frantically to diffuse the situation. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my family. But, everywhere I went, it felt like people didn’t really care about me as Nina Roberts but as Nini, my parents’ daughter and my brothers’ sister. Ricky was the first one who really respected my relationship with my brothers’ too, and he was sweet enough to seek their opinions before making any moves.” Nini couldn’t read the grandma’s expression, she had kept a straight face as she heard these things about her grandson. “He’s also really passionate about his job; it’s something I really admire about him — we’re both young and some would say it’s the time to go out, have fun and be a little crazy, but he’s so disciplined, sleeping early so that he can wake up early for duty the next day. He’s constantly improving himself to be a better lifeguard, to be better at the prevention and education part of it as well…” She trailed off a little at the end, watching closely for her reaction. 

“Tell me more about his lifeguarding in Kauai,” The poison in Mrs Bowen’s voice faded, her tone brimming with curiosity. Nini’s heart leaped in her chest as she heard the change in heart, and the smile on her face grew, “We actually had a little fight because of his job when we were getting to know each other. I’d visited him while he was on duty and he refused to talk to me, I was angry and ignored for a while after that but we found our way back to each other in the end. He told me that he never wanted anything to distract him from being attentive at work, after the incident during his junior lifeguard training a while back. But, after we talked, he really did try to loosen up a bit, he got more friendly to beach visitors, while continuing to be attentive to what was happening out at sea. He learnt to rely on his lifeguard buddies to cover the ocean if he was patrolling the beach. He’s been training everyday to stay in shape. I’m proud of him for working so hard.” 

There was a moment of silence as the older lady pondered upon the words that the younger girl spoke of her grandson, knowing that Ricky was no longer a failure of her husband’s legacy. She then moved on to ask more about Nini’s family, of whom she spoke well of, the girl’s future plans and more about the young couple’s relationship. 

Ricky was in the kitchen speaking with some of his cousins, listening to the stories they told about lifeguarding on the North Shore. He really wanted his girlfriend to be there to listen to all the amazing stories, and also to comfort him for feeling a little sad that he wasn’t lifeguarding with them. A message pinged on his phone, the screen lighting up with a text from Nate, asking if the two of them were doing okay and having fun. It was then he realised that he had left Nate’s little sister alone with his evil grandmother for half an hour already. He dashed out through the back door and was about to walk over to them but he was held back by his grandfather, who sat in a rocking chair watching his wife. “This Nina is really something, boy. You got really lucky,” Ricky’s face scrunched up in confusion, and he began to observe their interactions. His grandmother wasn’t smiling but she most definitely wasn’t frowning, that was a definite improvement. “Your grandma just expected more from you, Ricky. Can you imagine the most disciplined boy you’ve seen grown up go off the tracks to do his own thing, the boy you favoured the most left your island for another?” The old deep voice beside him burst a bubble in the million and one thoughts in Ricky’s head. “She most definitely did not favour me, Grandpa. She kept nagging and nagging and nagging about how I couldn’t do things right.” Ricky resisted, thinking back at how things used to be in his childhood. 

“She nagged because she didn’t want you to make mistakes, she nagged because she cared.”

“It doesn’t explain why she’s been so cold since my incident,” The younger Bowen retaliated once again. 

“She was disappointed, Ricky, and you know I was too. We just expressed our disappointment in very different ways.” Ricky clutched the knob on the top of the chair tightly, unable to reconcile whatever he’d heard. “Look, boy, if I can’t convince you that your grandmother actually cares about you then maybe your girlfriend will. Go save her from that conversation now, although she probably doesn’t really need saving. 

A warm feeling grew in Ricky’s heart when he saw Nini’s face light up as he walked toward her. He stood by her side as she continued talking with his grandmother, who still had a stoic expression on her face. “Hey Nina, shall we get you some food? You said you were hungry earlier right?” The older woman let her grandson tow his girlfriend into the house, away from her, as the girl shot her an apologetic smile. 

“Thank you for the conversation Mrs Bowen, I appreciated it.” The girl was polite too, this was more than she would ever expect of a girl Ricky brought home. She was going to have to talk with him later on and let him know that. 

“I’m sorry for leaving you alone in the lions’ den, babe,” Ricky’s frame was pressed close to Nini’s, as they scooped the food from the dishes onto their plates. “It wasn’t too bad, actually. It was pretty scary in the beginning but it got better than expected.” As Nini cleaned a stray grain of rice from Ricky’s lips, she got him to look her in the eyes, “She doesn’t hate you.” A frown grew on his face, his brown etched and furrowed, “She didn’t say that, did she?” She could hear the sadness in his voice and ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to cheer him up. “She didn’t say anything to make me think that but she was asking a lot about you and your work. I think she kinda cares, or at least she does now that she knows how much you pour into your job.” Ricky did likewise, combing his fingers through her hair, “You really did that, didn’t you?” He pulled her close to him, making sure that their plates were abandoned on the counter before pressing his lips on hers to show her his appreciation for bearing with his family. 

When they finally put some space between them and filled their plates with food, some of Ricky’s cousins came over to get to know Nini and catch up with the curly-haired boy. She gracefully shook their hands, introducing herself as _Nina_ , something she’d never done since she was three; her boyfriend had raised an eyebrow at her choice of introduction but she merely smiled at him, whispering a _later_ , and he knew he would get an explanation till later that night. Still, the thought of his closest cousins getting to know his girlfriend on a personal level was heartwarming to Ricky, and the reality of including her into this mess of a family, like he was included into hers, felt more possible or tangible than it had ever been before. He was deep in his thoughts about how Nini had fit into his family dynamic better than he had expected and what brought him back to earth was when she leaned into him, laughing at a story his cousin was telling from their childhood. “He’d keep nose diving into the saltwater, he’d scream every single time and he’d give this look of disgust because he’d swallowed some seawater when he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut. It was freaking hilarious,” They showed her videos of the one night they made a bad decision to drink and night surf — in the same night. The Ricky that Nini knew now would never do such a thing, but the Ricky then was a different story. “We never did that again because one of the old folks on the beach that night called our grandma and told her everything. Fun was over, we never did that again, at least not on the North Shore,” Ricky finished the story for them, a subtle reminder at the wet blanket their grandmother was. 

“But, we also started going for lifeguard training and realised how stupid it was to drink and surf. I even saved some dumbass who surfed drunk and hit his head on the corals when I was on a beach date with my girlfriend.” One of the guys nudged him, reminding him the real reason why they still hadn’t made the same stupid decision as they did in high school. “That dumbass was almost you, Ricky. Fancy nose diving right into the corals because you couldn’t balance on your board?” Nini pinched his cheek, teasing her boyfriend for the bad decisions he used to make. “Well, I’m glad that was the last of it. Else, I wouldn’t have lived long enough to meet you,” He kissed her cheek affectionately and the Bowen cousins cooed at how cute the couple looked. Nini blushed into his shoulder, enjoying the proximity and warmth of his body, the pair completely forgetting their agreement to keep their hands off each other. 

That is until, another icy voice spoke from behind them, “Ricky Bowen, how could you be back and not greet your own mother?” 

Ricky could feel Nini freeze up next to him. The biggest obstacle so far in his family life was his family life and she knew that. His mind fled to earlier that evening, when they’d first greeted his grandparents and how things turned out way better than they thought they would. Nini had been his advocate and he couldn’t be more grateful for that. Now, it was time for him to advocate for her, crossing his fingers for a glimmer of hope that things would turn out well. Ricky’s cousins eyed them as he stood up with a sigh, mentally preparing himself for the conversation, their eyes mirrored the anxiety in Nini’s, sympathetic smiles on their faces. 

Nini patted his lower back after she stood up next to him, “Come on, I’ll be there with you.” Her hand lingered a little till before dropping to her side, her touch burning in his back long after she let go. 

The sight of his own mother was sickly to him, as a large smile was plastered across her face, arms open wide to welcome him and Nini. He snuck into her arms and felt the warmth of the young brunette girl dissipate as she stood behind him, watching them; even with all his willpower, Ricky failed to embrace his mother like she did him. 

She pulled away and turned to look at her son’s girlfriend, “And you’re the Nina that everyone’s been talking about?” Mrs Bowen walked over to give her a hug as well and the poor girl tried not to tense up in the embrace, hoping she wouldn’t get on her bad side, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs Bowen.” 

They settled at the dining table to talk with some of Ricky’s aunts and uncles. There was a lot less hostility from Mrs Bowen than they had expected, though Ricky kept a wary glance at his mother, full of suspicion that the reason for a normal conversation was the presence of their relatives. The Bowen household had taken a liking to Nini despite their initial qualms about how Ricky had run off to Kauai and gotten a girl there. Ricky was Nini’s advocate, telling them about how much of a family person she is. They asked about her brother’s business and pro-surfing careers, mostly blown away by the accomplishments of the Roberts family. People were even warming up to Ricky, no longer seeing him as the runt in the litter but for his personality and achievements in Kauai. Things were going well through the evening, the couple sneaking subtle glances at each other, shooting smiles and winks when others weren’t looking. They had cake for the celebration despite the fact that it was no one’s birthday; they had family karaoke and watched as the grandparents unboxed their presents. Ricky had bought them a hammock since Grandad had complained that theirs was getting old and Nini gave them shark tooth necklaces and engraved rings from her shop. The old woman’s expression didn’t budge but Ricky noticed that she slipped the ring onto her finger almost immediately. He maneuvered through the mass of people and placed a hand on his girlfriend’s lower back; she turned to look at him upon contact, eyes lighting up with a smile. It took everything in Ricky to not kiss her and tell her that he was proud of her, and for Nini not to bury herself in the warmth of his body. “She liked it,” He told her, hoping the look in his eyes would convey his gratitude and adoration for her. Nini grinned, “She liked your gift too, look how she’s holding on to it while opening the other presents.”

It as her turn to placed her hand on his back as the curly-haired boy observed his grandmother, finding Nini’s words to be true; she did like his gift and he heaved a sigh of relief, he wouldn’t have to get a earful from his mom later on about how he picked the wrong gift. 

The celebration ended with heartfelt speeches from the old couple, thanking each other and the family for staying together for so long. They had mentioned each of their children and grandchildren: Grandma leaving out Ricky, as usual, but Grandad mentioning and welcoming Nini to compensate for it. The young couple had found each other at opposite sides of the room, Nini was helping one of the little nieces to braid her hair while Ricky was talking to one of his cousins. Upon hearing the mention of Nini’s name, they caught each other’s eyes; his were full of love while she was largely shocked and bashful. _I’m so proud of you._ He mouthed the words across the room, laughing when her brows furrowed in confusion. It had slipped RIcky’s mind that Nini was completely terrible at lip-reading. There was no way that she could read his lips across the beach, she would attempt to guess and always shout back the wrong answers, causing her boyfriend to burst into fits of laughter when her guesses didn’t make sense. Of course, she could have shouted a guess across the room, and she merely shook her head, telling him that she didn’t understand. She mouthed back a _later_ , earning a smirk from Ricky, as he fully understood the one word that escaped her lips. 

As the night deepened, people started leaving to return to their homes, which were not very far away, considering the Bowens owned the whole plot of houses. Ricky and Nini were getting ready to head back to their BnB too, saying their goodbyes to Grandad before they left. They were walking alone in the driveway away from the house when a lady’s voice called out to them. Ricky immediately rolled his eyes, knowing that it was his mom, probably coming over to give them an appraisal of how they did in front of their relatives and grandparents that day. “It was a nice show you two put on today,” They could hear the pretense in her voice as they turned around to see her sickly smile. “Mom, it wasn’t a show,” The boy sighed, already tired of the conversation. Nini stood by him, unsure of what to say. “You still failed though,” She gestured at her son, pointing at Nini, “You failed to get Grandma to like her.” Ricky opened his mouth to say something then closed it again because he had nothing to say. As much as his grandad and Nini tried to convince him, he was still half-unsure about whether his grandmother really liked him and Nini. Sure, she’d liked Nini’s gift but maybe it was just the gift and maybe he would never be able to match up to his mother and grandmother’s standards, ever. “Not even running away to Kauai could-”

“Kauai did him good.” The middle-aged woman was cut off by a man’s voice. Mrs Bowen turned around to be met with the sight of her parents-in-law. Nini stole a glance at Ricky who simply shrugged, his grandfather might defend him but he had no clue what his grandmother would say. “The girl is good for him too,” the old Mrs Bowen added, causing young Mrs Bowen to gape slightly, “Maybe the time away from watchful eyes and this girl helped you to grow into a boy I’m proud to call a Bowen.” Nini smiled when the old woman grasped her hands tightly, a sign of gratitude, as she looked to her teary-eyed grandson, who finally earned the validation he craved for since he could dream of becoming a lifeguard. She squeezed the young brunette girl’s hands, unfortunately still holding back her affection from Ricky. Nini glanced at him, who was looking at his grandad, an expression unreadable on his face. 

“Off you go, you two. Go enjoy the night while it is still young, before you go back to your life in Kauai,” Grandad shooed them away, the ends of his lips curling up when he saw the young couple’s fingers intertwine with the other’s, giving them a wave before they walked away into the night. 

Once they were out of sight of the three older persons, Ricky enveloped Nini in an embrace, arms wrapped tightly around her tiny waist and she laughed into his shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, Nina,” He buried his face in her neck, her hands in his hair, pulling him closer to her, “That was what I was trying to tell you earlier, but you didn’t understand me.” Nini pulled away at the teasing and whacked him lightly in the chest, “You know I suck at lip reading.” Ricky leaned in to kiss her cheek, “Yeah, you do.” 

They continued bickering for a little while, till Nini stood on her tippy toes, arms snaking around his neck to kiss him fully on the lips — something they hadn’t done since earlier that morning. Ricky’s hands cupped her face softly, thumbs stroking her cheeks lightly as he relaxed into the kiss. As they pulled away, he could see a glint in her eyes, frowning in a way to ask her what was up with her expression. “So, you finally believe that your grandma doesn’t hate you?” He nodded earnestly, though it was still something he couldn’t fully grasp. “I’ve finally become someone she’s proud of, after all the mistakes I’ve made and hard work I put in to build myself back up again.” Nini played with the curls on the back of his neck, and leaned in to kiss him again, “I’m really proud of you too.” 

They continued their walk back to their BnB from the Banzai Pipeline beach, hand in hand as Ricky was telling Nini about his niece’s birth and how much the Bowen family adored the little girl. “So, her parents named her Alana, after Grandma, but since she first started talking, she’d introduce herself as Lala. The cousins thought it was cute so we’ve been calling her Lala ever since. The adults call her Alana though, they have no sense of humour.” Nini was gushing about how cute the blonde girl was when Ricky recalled the thing she’d told him _later_. “Babe, you introduced yourself as Nina to everyone today. I thought that was exclusively for us?” She raised an eyebrow at him, not understanding the fuss he was making about the way she introduced herself. “They’re your family, Ricky. They are the people who know you mostly intimately and the people who you are tied to for life, they deserve to get to know me for who I really am.” 

“Okay. One, they really aren’t that great to deserve whatever you think they do. Two, Nini isn’t any less than Nina. You are the same person, you are the same beautiful and the same girl I fell in love with. Thank you for being so thoughtful towards my family though, I can see that they really enjoyed getting to know you.” He kissed her temple and Nini squeezed his hand, “If we are going to spend our lives with them, they deserve that much.” These words didn’t escape Ricky’s notice and a goofy grin crept up his face, “You wanna spend your life with me?” A blush flooded her face, and Nini could only be grateful that it was dark and he couldn’t clearly see her face getting redder by the moment. “Shut up, I was just saying,” She hit his chest again, like she did when he would tease her. “Yeah, just saying that you might want to spend your life with me.” 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“Nina, babe, wake up, we gotta meet Seb and Carlos at the Pipeline today,” Ricky tugged on her arm, drenched in sweat from the morning run and physical training he did earlier that morning. Old habits die hard, a short vacation couldn’t stop him from his daily fitness regime. Nini’s hair was strewn across her face as she starfished on the bed, groaning at his sweaty touch. She managed a “gross” before burying her face into the pillow, pulling away from him to wipe the sweat. Ricky stood at the foot of the bed, looking at the girl who was stubbornly still asleep; he ended up giving in to her slumber, slipping away to the bathroom for a shower to rinse the sweat of his body, he couldn’t blame her for being tired, they were up all night talking anyway.

When they had returned to the BnB after his grandparents had sent them off, they took a shower and hung out on the lounge chairs surrounding the villa pool. Ricky opened up about his family more, telling her almost every story possible; Nini listened attentively, her touches every now and then showering him with affection. She asked him about his friends and high school life. He told her more about the incident and his dynamic with Hailey, once again assuring her that he was way over her. Although Nini was pretty sure that he was and didn’t actually need convincing, she let him pull her into a passionate kiss, pinning her down on her lounge chair as he hovered over her, his body pressing against her own. She had wrapped her legs around his waist, a step into greater intimacy with him. Ricky carried her back into their room, with Nini kissing his neck ever so often, and they continued making out on the bed, only pulling away to catch their breath. They settled next to each other, talking about their ideals: ideal proposal, ideal wedding, ideal house, ideal family life and the friends they would want to keep as they moved along in life — Nini opened up about fantasising of becoming a pro-surfer as a young girl and it would have been her ideal career. It was barely 2am when they started talking about Ricky’s life guarding and if he was ever considering returning to Oahu. Earlier in the trip, the topic came up but they never really talked about it. But, they discussed it seriously, talking about the possibilities and permutation if they were to stay together for a long period. Tension was heightened when Ricky got lost in Nini’s eyes and was the one instead to tell her he might want to spend his life with her, giving her a green light to tease him like he teased her in the evening. He snapped a photo of her cheeky smile, and she insisted that they take a selfie of the both of them and so they did. She changed her wallpaper then, to the picture of them looking at each other, hair messy on the pillows. He kissed her good night when her eyelids grew heavy at 4am, a contrast to when he would usually fall asleep way earlier than her. Ricky smiled as she nuzzled into the warmth of his body in her sleep, pressing a kiss below her ear before succumbing to sleep himself. 

In a half-awake state, Nini could hear the shower start running and she rolled over to the bedside table to scroll through her phone, whilst still wrapped up in the covers. She smiled as she thought of last night, low-key regretting that they’d slept so late but also basking in the fact that it was a really good day. It would seem to anyone that she was reading some messages and routinely scrolling through her Instagram feed but her mind was constantly drifting to which bikini she should wear that day. Nate had helped her, like always had, and packed her three sets, assuming that she would use one set for each day. However, she’d only worn the floral one on the first day and the whole of the previous day was spent at the Bowen grandparents’ celebration. Nini had to choose between a black and white tribal set and a maroon set, she loved both equally and had received compliments in both sets too. The scrolling through her phone didn’t last long as she threw the device on to the bed and tugged the bikini sets out of her bag, laying them on the bed. Nini tried to recall if she’d worn the black and white set in front of Ricky before, because she was super sure that he’d seen her in the maroon one before. That day was rather memorable; he couldn't take his hands off her, a playful hand snaking down from her waist to rest on her bum ever so slightly. The brown-hair girl was stuck in a dilemma until the Nate brain awoke in her, deciding to wear the tribal top and maroon bottoms. _Fashionista,_ Nini thought to herself as she took her shirt off, putting on the halter top. Nate and Kourtney would have scoffed at her epiphany, they would have told her that mixing and matching was the most basic skill to have when styling. 

She was so proud of herself that she didn’t even notice that the shower had stopped running for a while. Just as she was pulling her maroon bottoms up, Ricky came out of the bathroom in his normal state, shirtless, surf shorts on, towel around his neck. The girl yelped slightly at the sound of the bathroom door opening, a blush rising to her cheeks when she made eye contact with her boyfriend. “Lookin’ good, Nina,” He casually remarked, frowning at her flustered gaze, “You okay?” She let out the breath she didn’t even know she was holding when she realised that he hadn’t seen anything. “Nothing, I’m good,” Nini looked him straight in the eyes to assure him that she was really fine. Ricky walked over to her and his hands instinctively rested on her waist, thumbs stroking her bare skin. She smirked at his actions, knowing that she was beyond attractive to him there and then. Nini kissed his collarbone and pulled herself out of his touch to head to the bathroom, not closing the door before blowing him an air kiss. He rolled his eyes at her teasing, heading to his bag to pull a singlet out. 

They grabbed breakfast at a cafe near their accommodations, a coffee each and sandwiches to share, not wanting to be too full before heading to the waves. Seb and Carlos met them back at the BnB to pick them and their surfboards up before heading to the Pipeline. Nini was slightly nervous to surf the huge waves, having read and hearing stories about the size of the waves and the incidents that had happened at that beach. Ricky saw that she was deep in thought, when she didn’t answer the question Seb asked her about meeting his family. He squeezed her hand, pulling her out of the reverie she was in. “I can trust you to be my lifeguard, right?” He was taken aback by her question, but assured her that he most definitely was. Carlos could hear the uneasiness in her voice and totally uncharacteristically of him, assured the girl in the backseat, making eye contact with her in the rearview mirror, “Don’t worry, Nini, you’re a Hawaiian local, you’ll be able to handle the waves.” The atmosphere in the car eased as Seb and Ricky teased Carlos for suddenly being a positive Polly instead of the negative Nellie he usually was, the brunette girl giggled in gratitude for his assurance, hoping that she would have fun at the Pipeline. 

They arrived in a quick ten minutes, the group pulling their surfboards out from the trunk. Nini and Carlos were applying sunblock while Ricky and Seb kindly waxed everyone’s boards. The girl moved over to spread sunblock over Ricky’s broad back, occasionally pressing a kiss on curly hair, earning smirks from his friends and a bright smile from her boyfriend. When he was finally done with the waxing, he stuck his abdomen at her, “Since you did the back, care to help me with the front?” Carlos snickered when he heard Ricky’s question and Seb slapped him for “being rude”. If they were alone, Nini wouldn’t have hesitated to run her hands over his abs, feeling the crevices of his sculpted muscles. However, they had company, so she threw the bottle of sunblock at his chest, “No, since I did the back, you should do the front.” 

A yellow flag flew on the beach, indicating a good surf day. Nini and the two guys headed into the water first, not wanting to wait for Ricky to say hi to his lifeguard friends first; he had Carlos and Seb take his girlfriend in first, knowing full well that she could wait to surf some waves. To Ricky’s delight, his childhood best friend Benjamin was on duty that day, they fist-bumped and bro-hugged as a greeting. Ricky explained why he was back, although Ben already knew because he was neighbours of the Bowens. After a short talk, Ricky jumped into the sea to catch up with the group who had surfed at least two waves each; Nini was just coming out of one when he paddled up to them. “Did your friend miss you?” She teased him, saying he looked more eager to see his best friend than he was to see Ricky. He laughed, admitting that he really was more excited because it came as a surprise, telling her what they caught up on and that he would introduce her later on. 

Their session lasted almost three hours, the group was parched, yet wrinkly when they emerged from the salty water. Each of them had their surfboard tucked under their arm, leashes still attached to their leg. Nini pushed her hair over one shoulder; Ricky stared at her, and she pushed him playfully, holding a finger over his lips, not wanting to hear a cheesy line about how good she looked even though she knew she looked like a drowned rat. She was ripping her leash off her ankle when she heard Ricky call out to Ben, who was standing on the beach, watching the water. “Ben, this is Nini, my girlfriend. She’s from Kauai. Nins, this is Ben, my childhood best friend, brother, lifeguard.” They shook hands firmly as Ben commented that he hadn’t expected Ricky to date in Kauai that quickly, while taking the liberties to tell Nini how much of an untouchable bachelor her boyfriend was since the incident. She pinched his cheek playfully, teasing him about being the most wanted single guy on the North Shore, only earning another cheesy response from him, “Aye, now I’m the most wanted taken guy on the North Shore.” Ben begged to differ, arguing that there was no such thing and that he owned Ricky’s former title now. 

The couples changed out of their wet attire and took a lunch break before going back to the beach to sit in the sun and watch the waves. Ricky had his guitar in his lap, Nini singing along softly to the melody he was strumming. Seb told her that her voice sounded amazing, and she bashfully let them in on how she did gigs at the Seas the Day. They insisted that she performed a few more songs for them and she took the guitar from Ricky, strumming a familiar intro to Never Not. 

Being freed from the guitar, he began people watching, eyes instinctively turned to the people in the water, some surfing and others wading among the corals. His gaze returned to Nini, whose beautiful voice was filling their beach mat, his eyes of admiration apparent to Carlos and Seb. He quickly looked away when Seb gave him a teasing glance, and his eyes were drawn to the familiar yellow rashguard and red shorts. Only, it was a blonde girl who had her arms wrapped around a shirtless guy, her buoy on the sand, forgotten. It didn’t take a genius to tell Ricky that the girl was Hailey. _Hailey._ The girl who was accepted as a lifeguard in the Pipeline despite her subpar skills and involvement in the same incident that cost Ricky his career in Oahu. Ricky had become a better lifeguard than he used to be, focus unparalleled accompanied with passion and compassion. Clearly, the same couldn’t have been said about Hailey. A look of annoyance etched in his face as he watched the couple get entangled in each other, while she was supposed to be on duty, lost at the care that the senior lifeguards gave, or lack thereof. Ricky’s breathing was a little uneven, as the anger slowly boiled in his veins. But, what caused his vein to almost pop was the fact that it was Ben who was kissing Hailey. He could only see the guy’s face when the couple finally pulled away, staring intensely into each other’s eyes. 

Ricky was at a loss, he wasn’t sure if he should have been more bothered at the fact that Hailey was treated with bias or that his close friend was being intimate with the reason why he left for Kauai, without telling him. He could have sworn that as Ben was kissing Haiiley’s neck, she was staring right at him, smirking as she pulled Ben closer to her. Ricky’s fists balled up unconsciously, only relaxing when he felt Nini’s hand over his.

“Shall we take a walk?”

Ricky stood up to follow Nini in the opposite direction of where Hailey and Ben were standing, she was walking ahead of him but then stood her ground, waiting for him to catch up to her. The couple then walked side by side in silence, arms swinging by the side of their bodies. Ricky didn’t know what to say to his girlfriend, he didn’t know if she was angry that she caught him staring at Hailey. He decided to adhere to a simple principle of _when in doubt, don’t speak so you don’t say anything stupid,_ silently interlacing his fingers with hers. 

She turned to look at him upon their holding of hands, deciding that she would be the one to speak first, “So, what was on your mind when you saw the two of them?” Ricky was rarely distracted when it came to Nini singing, he would always remind her how enraptured he was by her voice. When she’d realised that something else had his attention while she was singing earlier, it would be a lie to say that her heart sank a little, especially when she saw what stole his attention. Lucky for him, she was actually more concerned about his look of distress than being jealous of Hailey and Ben. Nini squeezed his hand, feeling his hesitation to answer her question, “I’m just worried that you’re stressed.” Upon realisation that she was just concerned for him, Ricky began to pour out his unhappiness about the blonde lifeguard’s lack of professionalism and later opened up about his feelings toward Ben. “I can’t believe I’m upset over something I used to consider girl drama.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her head into his side, "It's normal to be disappointed in your friend, especially if he's close to someone who hurt you. I'd tease you and say it's girl drama, but it really isn't, Ricky. You're only human and it's normal to feel disappointed or betrayed, even." He kissed the top of her head, arm around her shoulder pulling her closer to him. They lingered in each other’s presence for a while, as they looked out into the ocean then into each others’ eyes. Nini’s grip around Ricky’s waist loosened and she wriggled out of his grasp, “Catch me if you can, Richard.” She ran away with a cheeky grin, and Ricky’s lips curled up into a smile. Trust his girlfriend to have impeccable timing to drop the most cringe-worthy romance movie line and the use of his birth name, in order to cheer him up. They had compiled a list of the most puke-inducing romantic lines that couples have said to each other on screen and they liked to dig it up to make the other laugh or recoil in disgust. Ricky ran after her and effortlessly caught up, running ahead of her to block her body from advancing further. She snuggled into his embrace and was enjoying their proximity until he whispered in her ear, “I don’t not love you.” Nini immediately pulled away and smacked his chest hard, punishing him for the obnoxious double negative, “Ew.” She still let him pull her by the chin, melting into the kiss; what could she say, she didn’t not love him either. 

After they pulled away, Ricky dragged her back in the direction of the group, the smile on his face falling when he saw that their spots on the beach mat were filled by two familiar people. Nini kissed his cheek, turning his attention back to her, “It’s going to be fine. Don’t let them ruin our last day here.” He squeezed her hand lightly, “What am I going to do without you?” 

Nini sat between Ricky’s legs, back leaning against his chest when they got back; Seb and Carlos kindly made space for them. They requested another song from Nini, this time their couple anthem, Edge of Glory; Ricky dropped some harmonies along with her, earning hollers from Seb, despite the fact that he was recording the entire thing on his phone — Carlos shushed him, saying later on that he had spoilt the sound quality. Seb argued back that the shush sound got recorded as well, so he was equally as bad. Everyone laughed at them, Nini burying her head in her hands when they, including Hailey, complimented her voice once again. They were in the middle of a decent conversation; although Ricky withheld talking to the two uninvited guests, Nini was bright and welcoming to them, sharing some stories of facts she discovered about her boyfriend, asking Ben to verify some facts. “He burps so much when we drink gassy drinks, I literally can’t.” Ricky pressed his cheek against her temple, retorting to maintain his suave image, “I don’t even drink gassy drinks, Roberts.” There was literally no image to uphold in front of the people whom he’d lost all inhibitions with at least once. 

“Oh my god, Nini, you’re a Roberts?” Hailey gasped when she thought she drew the connection between someone she knew and Nini. The brunette girl could see what was coming for her and bit her lip whilst attempting to smile, “Yeah, it’s a really common last name though, I might not be related to the person you have in mind.” Hailey didn’t seem to notice that she was uncomfortable and continued to egg her on, “No way, you guys are definitely related. There’s no way there’s so many Roberts families on Kauai.” Ricky could feel his girlfriend tense up against his chest and he began tracing small circles on her thighs to comfort her as much as he could. “Are you Nicholas Roberts’ little sister?” Nini froze at the direct question, hesitating to answer. Of course she was Nic’s sister, it just felt like the last year of high school all over again. If Hailey didn’t give Nini good vibes when she first met her, the vibes were definitely bad right now. Ben whipped out his phone and began scrolling through Nic’s profile on Instagram and exclaimed when he saw a photo he had dedicated to Nini on international siblings day. “Oh my gosh, you _are_ Nicholas Roberts’ younger sister! We’ve seen him on the Pipeline so many times and he’s freaking amazing.” Hailey shook Ben crazily, “He’s WSL level, he’s beyond amazing.” 

While everyone’s attention was on their phones as they investigated further about the Roberts family, Ricky’s attention was on Nini who was sitting between his legs. “Wanna talk a walk, babe?” He whispered in her ear but she shook her head violently, knowing she couldn’t run away from this conversation. “Yea, he’s been training really hard since I could remember.” 

“How come you don’t pro-surf like your brother? I saw you on the waves just now and you were pretty good for a girl,” Ben inquired curiously. Ricky’s fists were balled at the question, how could his friend ask such an insensitive question? Nini’s hands rested over his, patting on them to signal that he should relax. She understood that people didn’t realise how much she got these questions, they weren’t there like Ricky was when people would shamelessly ask about her family life. Before Nini could open her mouth to explain, Hailey chimed in, “Maybe she tried pro-surfing when she was younger but it didn’t work out for her like it did for her brother. Or maybe, it did work out but she gave up before she made it to WSL.” It was then Nini finally gave in to the bad vibes that she had gotten from Hailey. She tried to be kind and give them the benefit of doubt in their questions about her relationship with her brother, like she did any other person. But, Hailey’s motives clearly went beyond that; she was being rude and hurtful to Nini, saying things that were untrue, painting a poor picture of the Roberts girl. 

“Nini found her place in music, didn’t you, Nins?” Ricky was angry but he swallowed the fire down and tried to defend her and diffuse the situation. The brunette girl nodded wordlessly, afraid that if she spoke, she’d give away too much in her anger. Looking into Ricky’s eyes, she gave him the permission to continue. They had talked about this last night, when Nini disclosed that her ideal career would have been to surf professionally but she had seen how her brother failed to spend time with his loved one, girlfriends coming and going because they couldn’t take the time apart. He wasn’t even there for Nate’s business opening nor their parents’ anniversary celebrations because he was somewhere else in the world training for WSL. She understood that it was necessary but unlike Nic, she didn’t have it in her to give all of her family up for her career. This was also one of the reasons she decided against college — she didn’t need a college degree to help her dad or brother’s businesses, or to do jobs in Kauai that mattered for the community, but she needed and wanted her family in those four years. Nini hated that people superficially looked at the success of Nic’s career and how they failed to count the cost. It was only when their paternal grandmother had passed away last spring that Nic realised he had lost years with her because he was away training. The most heartbreaking part was when she always asked to see _Nicky, Nini and Nathan_ but Nic never showed up. Holding this story in his hands, Ricky quickly decided it was too personal to her to divulge to his undeserving friends, if he would even call them that. “She decided that family was most important to her and she wanted to help in her family business, rather than surf for WSL.” Hailey raised an eyebrow, but before she could comment, Ricky added something, “Everyone values different things and Nina values relationships with those she loves. And, I love her for that.” He kissed her hair and felt Nini relax into his chest again. They were both so relieved that they didn’t realise Ricky’s slip, calling her _Nina_ in the presence of others, even though he wanted it to be exclusive to him. 

“Aw, your birth name is Nina? I don’t know why I thought your name was really Nini,” Seb had picked up on it and pointed it out. Both Nini and Ricky were startled at his comment, finally realising that Ricky had called her Nina, the Roberts girl simply nodding to acknowledge him. “Nina is such an old-fashioned name, I like Nini better.” Hailey retorted, causing Nini’s heart to weigh down to the depth of her stomach. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard this, even her brothers used to say that when they were younger. That’s why they insisted on calling her Nini from when she emerged from the womb, that’s why they went but Nic and Nate instead of Nicholas and Nathan. Hearing it from Hailey shouldn’t have had any effect on her and she hated that it did. Ricky whispered in a low voice, “Nina Roberts is my favourite.” Her heart didn’t soar like it did the first time he’d told her he loved her but it did lift her spirits, and that was enough for her at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back with another season but part 1 because I had a lot planned! thank you for being patient with me <3


	5. fall (II)

Returning to Kauai, Ricky was an absolute sweetheart to Nini, like he always was. Coming back, Nini had to pick herself back up from the conversation at the beach with Hailey, and how the blonde girl had carelessly commented about how she might have failed in her trying a career in pro-surfing or how her birth name wasn’t a cute name. It wasn’t the first time that Nini had heard people say those things about her. In fact, her whole high school life was all about dealing with others’ snide remarks about her, in comparison to her brothers. However, it didn’t mean it hurt less. It might have even hurt more since it was coming from her boyfriend’s ex-fling or girlfriend or whoever she was; it might have felt like ripping out a scab from a healing wound, causing it to bleed all over again. Ricky helped her pick up the pieces, showering her with hugs and kisses whenever possible, calling her  _ Nina _ as he usually did, but with intentional affection dripping in his voice. Emma had commented that they were inseparable lately, going a little overboard with their display of affection at the Roberts house. That was until they were indeed separated. 

Nini was getting more and more offers to do gigs, even at night at their local bars. As a fresh graduate from high school, she was going to take any offer to any job that was offered to her, hoping that the next help her put a name and a better price for each set she played. After all, Hawaii was beautiful and it was her home, but it was also expensive. If she was going to carve out a life of her own, she was going to have to find a way to pay her dues, and this was it. Her first gig, the owner of the Shipwreck bar that Ricky waited tables at had asked Nini if she would play for an evening that a tourist couple had made a reservation to celebrate their anniversary. They shook hands to seal the deal and she ran over from the bar to Ricky’s lifeguard tower to tell him the good news. 

His arms were held open for her when he could see her sprinting in his direction. Nini collided into his chest, hugging him tightly for a few seconds, before pulling away. If it were up to her, she would stay in his embrace as long as she could, but her lifeguard boyfriend needed to do his job and she was not going to be the reason he was subpar. She turned toward the sea, hand holding onto his right wrist. The brunette girl pulled his arm around her small waist and leaned against his firm chest. Ricky’s left arm instinctively rested over his right, and he pressed his cheek against Nini’s temple, “Why the good mood, Nins?” It was not that he didn’t like to see her smile, he just loved when it was not just him that could make her smile, the ends of her lips reaching her ears; he wanted her to be happy, for every other aspect of life to treat her the way she deserved. “Nahele offered me a gig, he said I was the first one who came to mind when he was thinking to hire a live musician,” Even if Ricky wasn’t looking at his girlfriend, he would know that she was absolutely ecstatic; except that he was actually looking at her, he could feel her glee a hundred percent more. He simply gave a congratulatory kiss — it was chaste, short and sweet — giving her room to share more details regarding the opportunity she was given. Nini’s excitement was bubbling over the top as she told Ricky about the songs that she was planning to include in her sets that day, leaning further into his chest as his fingertips tickled the skin under her Seas the Day uniform top. He was in the middle of pressing a long kiss on her temple when his body tensed up and he stopped whatever he was doing, eyes glued to the ocean. 

“Sorry, baby, I’ll be back in a few. I’m proud of you, okay?” He ran off into the water to save a kid that wadded in a tad too deep during the high tide, leaving her to miss the warmth of his body and touch. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t disappointed, but at the same time, she completely understood why he’d left her, in the middle of their conversation. It was just bad timing, much like how it was in the beginning of their something special. She watched as Ricky swam to the little girl and helped her cling onto his buoy before pulling her back to shore. He brought her back to the shore and spoke with her parents, ensuring that they were fine and aware of the risks of high tide. As he spoke to them, it was clear to Nini that they were building rapport as the initial faces of worry turned into smiles and laughter. She took one last glance at the family and the lifeguard before heading back to Seas the Day to continue with her work for the day.

**_Nina_ **

_ Hey you, I had to return to my shift so I left, sorry  _ **_♡_ **

**_Ricky_ **

_ Sorry for leaving so abruptly, I’m so proud of you! Talk more tonight? _

Later that night, Ricky took her to Waimea docks, their place, and helped her draft out her setlist for her first gig as she sat between his legs. Nini knew that he was trying to make up for earlier, when they were rudely interrupted by the rescue, and let him know that it wasn’t his fault. As much as she tried, her lower lip began to tremble, revealing her true feelings toward the incident in the afternoon. He kissed her fully on the lips, telling her that he loved her when tears rolled down her eyes as she admitted to him that she was upset that he wasn’t fully present for her earlier. “It’s not even your fault because you were on duty and you were doing your best at your job. It’s supposed to be a good thing, I don’t even know why I’m so upset about this.” Nini hated that she felt this way, it was like she was a high schooler that craved the attention of the boy she liked, loved even, and was this toxic and needy girlfriend who only thought of herself. 

“Nina, it was bad timing remember?” He hinted at the first and last time she tried to find him to talk to him during his duty, and how it turned out for both of them. “Nins, I know there will be days that you need me more than other days. And, trust me, it was as hard for me to keep my lips off yours as much as you wanted to tell me everything about your gig,” He earned a slap on the chest from Nini, as usual, though this time was weaker because she was still crying. “Let’s make this easier for both of us, okay? We are working adults with jobs that need us to be fully present. As much as I want to talk to you all day, we both know we can’t. And, it only makes us sadder when we try to but the other person isn’t able to give us their full attention, right?” Ricky continued to wipe the tears that escaped from her eyes, she had given up holding them in, releasing her resentment that was built up under the hot afternoon sun. She nodded in response to his clear-headed suggestion. 

“Setting boundaries now, aren’t we?” She tried to joke with him, hinting at their shared mockery of a couples therapy article that Ricky’s high school friend had shared on Facebook; her laughter sounding more bitter than she intended for it to. Ricky tucked her hair behind her ear and then caressed her cheek tenderly, “Come on, we hate calling it that. We just have to be realistic so that we can avoid disappointment that comes with unrealistic expectations, babe.” They continued to talk more about their expectations of each other in their relationship, something they should have discussed much earlier on but failed to see the necessity in. They finished up the setlist quickly, each listing and playing the songs that they wanted to sing to each other to tell the other how much they loved them. 

Nini’s first gig was a hit with the audience. Turns out, while the afternoon audience had enjoyed Nini’s live singing, the night crowd was a lot more appreciative of her skills; more of them had requested songs after her first set, leaving her to throw the planned sets out the window to cater to their requests. With requests granted, the audience had a greater satisfaction and some other locals present reached out to her to offer her more gig opportunities at the farmer’s market, some private parties and even a wedding planned for next year. Nini’s schedule was flooded with gigs, taking on up to four weeks in a week, mostly three on a regular week. 

It was two weeks later that Ricky pulled her aside on one of the evenings as she was setting up for her first set at a night flea market. He was the supportive boyfriend, showing up for as many gigs as he could humanly attend, offering moral support and a ride back home. He loved her voice — he wasn’t able to hear much of her live singing gigs before the offer at the Shipwreck because their work schedules never allowed him to visit Seas the Day during the time she was playing. Being able to sit and listen to her voice as she sang into a mic while playing the keyboard was a precious sight, and one of his favourite sides of her. He always thought she looked extremely attractive when she was focused on making souvenirs and playing music. Being able to attend her gigs was an absolute treat for Ricky. But, with four gigs a week, and some days that they were just too tired to hang out, their meetups became infrequent. The couple would meet for lunch as they usually did everyday, but the short 45 minutes was barely all they could spare in a day. Ricky missed night where they would sit on the docks to talk about any topic under the moon, arguing about what shape its reflection in the water looked like. He missed her staying over; after gigs, she needed to drop her equipment back home. It didn’t make sense for them to go to her house then to go over to his house, especially not when she was deadbeat. 

He had pulled her aside to press a firm kiss to her lips, hands gripping the sides of her hips to pull her body closer to his. She reciprocated, body responding to his touch to press against his, but she pulled away quickly when she realised where they were and why they were there in the first place. “Not now, babe, I gotta work,” She stroked his cheek with her thumb softly, “I love you though.” He kissed her again on the lips, before releasing her to continue setting up. As he watched her, he unconsciously spoke his mind, “I miss spending time with you, like we used to before you had these gigs.” He only realised when she was frozen in her spot, meeting his eyes with her sad ones. The flea market organiser interjected, asking if Nini was ready to begin. She quickly did a sound check, before giving her a signal that she was ready to begin the set; not before glancing at Ricky one last time. They were going to have to talk about this again later. 

Bad timing. Ricky blamed himself for making Nini upset with the slip of his tongue, at the worst time possible. Two weeks ago, he was the one who said to set lower expectations so that they wouldn’t get so disappointed. But here he was, acting like a kicked puppy because his girlfriend was busy with work. He loved that she was successful and gaining recognition in the live music scene, and he was really proud of her. He shouldn’t have felt this disappointed when they were unable to spend them today because life was treating her well, in every other aspect, just as he’d wished for her. He resented himself for not being able to fully rejoice with her in her success, what kind of boyfriend was he if he couldn’t be happy for his girlfriend? 

He simply engulfed Nini in a hug when they’d reached the Roberts home after the long day, not knowing where to begin. “I guess, we both needed a little bit of adjusting after being joined at the hip for three whole days in Oahu, huh?” Nini spoke first, completely understanding Ricky’s point of view; she was in his exact position two weeks ago. “Or maybe we’re just really selfish people, wanting attention from our significant other?” The second guess came out as a whisper, indeed, it hurt to admit what the underlying problem. “I’m sorry for not setting aside more time to spend with you,” Her apology coming out muffled because she had buried her face in his chest. Ricky pulled away to cup her face with his hands, “It’s not your fault, Nins, I just really missed spending that much time with you. But, I know it’s not realistic anymore, so I’m working through it. Don’t you worry about me.” She reached up to kiss him, he pulled her closer, wanting to make full use of the time they were having together. It wasn’t just his part to accept her new work schedule, it was also her part to be intentional in making time for him in her schedule. If that meant saying no to some gigs, it was her part to learn to say no and wait for another opportunity to come by. 

“We’ll work through this together, Ricky, I promise,” She kissed him again, letting out a sound of satisfaction as he deepened the kiss, the hand on her waist firm and reliable. 

“We will,” He playfully kissed her nose, then returned to her lips, revelling in the sensation of the feel of her lips against his own. 

“Thank you for being honest with me and calling me out on my crappy behaviour,” Nini squeezed his bicep, but earned a scoff from her boyfriend, “Let’s face it, we’re both crappy.” She laughed as he kissed her ear whilst whispering a soft  _ so so crappy _ . Nate and Emma watched the oblivious couple through the window from inside the house, saying they were doing okay for kids their age, praying in their hearts that they would work it out eventually; Nate assuring Emma that they would make it out stronger and better, he just knew.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“Good morning, birthday girl.” Ricky kissed the girl lying in bed, who was just shaken awake by her older brother, who insisted to  _ cease the day _ because it was a special day. The curly-haired boy had dropped by the Roberts house in the morning to wish her a happy birthday because they both had a full day of work ahead of them. It was her special day and he didn’t want to wait till lunch to wish her. “Are those donuts I smell?” Nini murmured from under her blanket, then pushed the white fabric away from her face to get a whiff of whatever he had brought for her. “Maybe if you come out of your bed and got dressed, you’d find out,” He tried to coax her out of bed, knowing that it was difficult to wake up the day after she had a gig. The girl reached out her hands to him, gesturing for Ricky to help pull her up. He laughed at the way her arms flailed around, but pulled her to sit up with his strong grip. Nini tugged him to sit next to her on the bed, wanting his body heat to engulf her as she escaped the warmth of her covers. As he leaned against the headboard, she straddled his waist, to lean against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. Ricky loved the way she snuggled against him, planting a kiss on the crown of her head, as his hand stroked her exposed thigh gently. “As much as I wanna stay here with you the entire day, you gotta get up, Nins. Or at least, so that Nate doesn’t come in and catch us like that,” He could hear her groan tiredly into his chest as he combed her hair gently, taming the strands that went wild from her sleep. 

She finally hopped into the bathroom to freshen up before starting her day, suddenly hoping that she was fast enough that she could catch the sunrise. Ricky had left her a note saying that breakfast was waiting on the porch for her, with a p.s. confirming that it was indeed her favourite donuts from the shop they’d visited when they’d gotten back from Oahu. Her family wished the baby Roberts happy birthday, each taking their time to shower her with love and kisses as she struggled to get to the main door, where Ricky was waiting for her on the other side. Nini leaped onto her boyfriend’s back when she finally made it out of the house, a little disappointed when she saw the sun shining brightly in the sky. “Happy birthday, Nina,” He let her down so he could kiss her properly on the lips; she was greeted by the taste of coffee on his tongue, craving the beverage for herself. She pulled away and began to dig into the warm donuts, not caring that there was sugar all over her lips. Ricky dusted the sugar from her lips with his thumb as he watched her enjoy her birthday breakfast. 

The time they had together in the morning was not long, Ricky having to leave for duty soon after she’d finished the donuts. As Nini walked Ricky to his car, she thought to open the mailbox to see if any of her friends had sent anything for her birthday. Unfortunately, it was empty — not a single letter or parcel. Ricky kissed the back of her hand affectionately, telling her it was okay, and perhaps their mail arrived late, because  _ just Hawaii things _ . She let him hug her and rub her back to comfort her before he left; not without a morning birthday kiss, her hands tight around his neck so that she could kiss him longer, before she would meet him again later that day. 

“Ni, you have some presents in your room,” Mr Roberts told her as she walked back in through the door, Mrs Roberts explained that her gift had actually arrived early but her friends had requested that the family only give them to her on the actual day of the birthday. Kourtney had sent her a new set of waterproof eyeshadow and wrote in her card that she could finally be a mermaid princess. Nini laughed and shook her head, there was no way that she would apply makeup to the beach, it was not worth the effort at all; although being a mermaid princess was not at all a bad idea. She figured that she would test the concept someday, maybe when Kourtney was back for the summer to help her put it on. Other friends sent postcards, from whichever states in the Mainland they were at for college, telling her that they missed her and hoped that she was doing well back in Kauai. Gina, on the other, was a wild soul. The past few birthdays, she’d gotten Nini the most sparkly dress that she’d ever owned and even a thong bikini set that she still hadn’t worn till this day because it was not practical. There was no telling of what Gina could have gotten her from the streets of New York City. An ominous black box sat under the wrapping paper; the box was light and Nini immediately knew that it was some article of clothing, following the trend of gifts from Gina. The box opened to reveal a dusty pink nightgown, with lace at the bust area and silk flowing down smoothly, as well as a matching underwear set. The gift was accompanied with a pink card, a message written on the back by the Porter girl. 

_ Nini, it’s time to treat yourself to some sexy time!  _

_ Wear this for yourself, for your man and get some, gurllll _

_ Love, your fav girl in NYC _

_ P.S  _ _ not _ _ Kourtney _

If any of Gina’s previous gifts had made Nini shocked, this one was sufficient to render her speechless. Her friend was nothing short of surprising again, although Nini should have expected this — the girl had bought herself a ton of lingerie when she herself turned eighteen, claiming that it was so she could feel hot for herself. She stared at the article of clothing, feeling the soft material under her fingertips, letting her thoughts drift to her boyfriend and how he might react if he saw her wearing it. A blush rose up to her cheeks and she shook her head free of where her thoughts might lead her, packing a bag for a stayover at Ricky’s house later that night, in an attempt to distract herself; the pink dress lay on the bed, forgotten. 

“Nini, you ready to go?” The girl could hear her brother’s footsteps get closer as he came over to her room to check on her; she hurriedly threw the pink cloth into her closet, and gathered her things quickly, crossing her fingers that she packed fast enough so that he didn’t see the nightgown. “As much as I’m your brother and I’d love for you to enjoy your birthday, I’m also your boss, who’d like you to get your ass to work right now.” Nini breathed a sigh of relief and quickly grabbed her bag and walked to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, before heading to Nate’s car for the drive to work. She would only hope that the day’s tasks would be enough to keep her mind from wandering. 

The Roberts were having a karaoke party at their local bar and grill for Nini’s birthday. Nate had sped her home after work, insisting that she change into whatever he picked for her so she could look nice and take nice photos. The Roberts girls really couldn’t have been bothered with the clothes; she was hungry and tired from work and just wanted to get on with the karaoke. Nonetheless, she let Nate do his magic and put her in a blue romper — not before hiding the gown she haphazardly threw into the closet earlier that morning in her bag so that he wouldn’t see it; it was just embarrassing and she was not ready to deal with whatever he had to say about it when he found out just yet. 

They met Ricky at the bar and grill, he was already sitting at the table waiting for them, decked in a blue button-up, kindly adhering to the dress code that Nate had set. Nini hugged him from behind and kissed him, finally seeing him again after he’d come over to her house that morning. Their usual lunch plans fell through because Kourtney and Gina wanted a Facetime celebration during her lunch break; it was the only time good to meet in their six hour time difference. Ricky wanted her friends to enjoy Nini to themselves, so he made himself scarce, eating lunch with Nate and Emma instead. “Hey, I missed you,” she murmured into his ear, earning a smile in return. Before he could tell her the same, Mr Roberts interrupted, asking his daughter to sit in a chair and stop clinging to her boyfriend like a koala. The table erupted in laughter as the birthday girl wore a pout, sitting herself down next to Ricky, and he stroked her lower back to comfort her. 

Dinner went by and karaoke night ensued, the bar and grill blown away by all of their singing abilities. Nini and Mrs Roberts started them off with their favourite song to sing at karaoke, Wannabe by the Spice Girls. “Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want,” Nini sang into the mic, Nate and Mr Roberts dancing along with them. Emma and Ricky laughed at their playful antics, caving in when Mr Roberts pulled them out of their seats to dance together. When they finally got tired of all the hype songs, they slowed down with Kodaline’s All I Want, Ed Sheeran’s Lego House, and all the feelsy songs. Nini sat on her dad’s lap as they watched Nate and Emma sing a duet to You are the Reason by Calum Scott. Ricky watched as Mr Roberts waved his daughter’s hands in the air as he rocked them side to side to the beat of the music. As the song was coming to a close, the older man leaned over to whisper something into the younger girl’s ear. Whatever he said made her smile brightly and glance at Ricky later. Mr Roberts pressed a kiss to Nini’s cheek and finally released her from his grip, letting her go over to sit in her boyfriend’s lap. 

“You having fun?” Ricky asked as she walked over to him. “Yeah, I love karaoke night — it’s the only thing that my parents ever let us hear their beautiful voices,” She stood by his side, hands running through his curls. “You know, my dad was just talking about you with me.” Nini teased Ricky; of course he knew they were talking about him, with all the glances that Nini threw at him. Now that she had to mention it, he was dying to know what more the Roberts father thought of him. “Are you going to tell me or what?” He pulled his girlfriend into his lap and tilted her chin so that he could kiss her, her body relaxing into his as she felt his lips against hers. “He just really likes you, and then proceeded to tell me to use protection tonight when I sleep over.” The girl bit her lip playfully, taunting the boy in front of her with another kiss on the lips. 

“Who said we were going to need protection tonight?” Ricky pressed a kiss of the back of her hand, genuinely taken aback by the mention of them going all the way. They hadn’t done it yet, but now that they were talking about it, it felt like it might be time. 

“Says the birthday girl.”

The group headed back to the Roberts house for cake, Nini riding in her parents’ car with Emma while Nate rode with Ricky. While Nini was more than happy to spend time with her parents and sister-in-law, she wore a pout when her brother chose to ride with her boyfriend, instead of her — the birthday girl. Deep inside, she knew that she was actually glad that Nate got along well with Ricky, it was rare that they were close to the point that he might favour Ricky over her. 

Emma had made Nini a passionfruit cake, they put in and sang her a song while she basked in the attention she was receiving. Nic joined in the celebration on facetime, unable to be present because of the WSL season. The family had the cake over some old school board games, Mr Roberts getting everyone to play Boggle so he and his wife could thrash the children with a landslide victory. The whole time Nini sat across Ricky, glancing at him ever so often, thinking what it’d be like when they finally had the time together to be in each other’s arms and talk about anything under the sun, or moon. He snuck glances at her too, but mostly because she looked really beautiful that night; Ricky also took note of the glint from the ring on her finger when the light reflected in it, wanting to just take her hand and hold it tight. 

When the Roberts parents were finally satisfied with their victory, they kissed their only daughter good night, wishing her sweet dreams and a happy birthday before retiring to their room. Nate and Emma volunteered to clean up the mess they’d made, shoo-ing the youngest couple out of the house, telling them to enjoy the night. Of course, Nate hugged his sister and gave her a kiss on the forehead before letting them leave; Emma blew her an air kiss, not wanting to hold them back any longer. 

Ricky interlaced his hand with Nini’s as soon as he could, feeling the cool metal of the ring against his fingers and lifted her hand to his lips to press a kiss onto the back of her palm, “We’ve said this so many times today but happy birthday, Nins.” She smiled at him, uttering a  _ thank you _ then pulled his hand over to kiss the back of his palm too. The two walked hand in hand on the beach, reminiscing what her birthday was like last year, Nini highlighting how things went differently this year — mostly that her friends were off someplace else getting their college degrees, and the addition of Ricky to her life. When they came to their favourite place, the harbour, they sat down, letting their feet dangle in the cool water of the ocean, fingers still intertwined with each other. “Okay, enough about me, really. What about you? How did you celebrate your eighteenth?” He used his free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, “As per our recent trip to Oahu, you probably would have caught on to the fact that I was a wild child. My eighteenth was nothing special, just a party, drinking, drinking games, my friends trying to set me up with girls, and Carlos telling me that no one would date my stupid ass. It wasn’t half as special as yours.” Nini released her hand from his and placed her arms around his waist, snuggling into the crook of his neck, “Then, I’m glad that I can spend this year’s birthday with you. It’s going to be so special!” Ricky rested his head on hers, “I already know it’ll be special, because you being there already makes it special.” She tilted her head up to kiss his neck, in assurance of her affection, earning a satisfied sigh from the curly-haired boy. 

Ricky’s birthday happened to fall on one of the days he didn’t have a shift at Poipu, so he was able to have the whole day to himself. Nini managed to convince her brother to give her the day off, promising that she would pay him back in the form of babysitting when they finally had children — Nate wasn’t really convinced but he let her anyway, so that Ricky wouldn’t have to spend his birthday alone. From a long time ago, they’d already planned the day’s activities, Nini taking the liberties to plan something that was exclusive to Kauai, yet something that he loved to them. They were going to go hiking in the Waimea Canyons in the morning and surf on the North Shore in the late afternoon. EJ and the lifeguard boys were planning a little party for their buddy for the evening and had requested that Nini brought him over so they could surprise their friend. Of course, Ricky wasn’t aware of that, he thought that they would have dinner with Nate and Emma and then go bowling afterwards. 

Nini told him in detail what she would do to make his birthday special but she was only halfway through when Ricky’s alarm blared in the silence of the harbour, scaring the lights out of his girlfriend. He quickly shut it off and saw her standing up next to him, ready to head back for a rest for the night. “I’m really sorry that we can’t stay out longer, Nins. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I’m weak.” Nini helped him up then cupped his face with her hands, “Babe, sleep is good for your body. Don’t ever be sorry that you need more,” She didn’t want him thinking that she would ever mock him for sleeping early like an old grandpa; his job was physical and the long hours of exposure to the sun really sucked the life out of him — if he needed sleep, he shouldn’t be ashamed to get the rest his body deserved. “Come on, let’s go,” She walked ahead of him, pausing so that he could catch up to her, and they quickly made their way back to her house where his car was parked. 

The drive back to Ricky’s apartment was filled with silence, sans Nini strumming on the guitar that was sitting on the floor of the backseat. She quietly hummed the melody to Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley, Ricky occasionally harmonised a hum along with her, keeping his eyes on the road. Ricky had already showered after his duty before heading to the bar and grill, but the hot and humid climate of the tropics in Hawaii made it impossible to sleep without a shower. Being the sweetheart he was, he let Nini use the bathroom to remove her makeup before his shower. He kissed her before slipping into the shower, having to let her know that he loved how she looked without makeup too. 

While her boyfriend was in the bathroom, she used the room to change into comfortable clothes before hopping into bed. She rummaged through her bag to organise her things and came across the pink fabric from the nightgown that Gina had gifted her. Her thoughts about the article of clothing in the morning and teasing of Ricky during karaoke night that were initially largely forgotten flooded her mind once more, and the girl could feel the heat in her cheeks as the blood rushed to her face. She contemplated if she ought to wear it or one of Ricky’s shirts, knowing that she would look attractive in both — heck, she looked attractive to him, no matter what. But, Nini could almost hear Gina and Kourtney chiding her, telling her it wasn’t about what Ricky thought of her but more of what she thought of herself; Kourt would proceed to tell her she didn’t need a man’s approval, while Gina would soothe her, telling her Ricky would obviously appreciate it if she looked good for both of them. Even though she’d only brought the dress along in an attempt to hide it from her brother, the effort she had put in to bringing it all the way, albeit a very short way, to Ricky’s house had to be worth something, right? She heard the shower turn off, knowing that he was just about done and would come out soon. Nini jumped out of her romper, slid the nightgown on and lay on her side of the bed, casually scrolling through her phone to act ignorant to his stares at her. 

He was indeed confused when he stepped out of the bathroom to be greeted with the sight of his girlfriend lying on the bed, in an article of clothing he’d never see before. Ricky was sure that it wasn’t intentional that she was laying on her stomach, elbow propped up as she held onto her phone, typing something, a test, to someone — she always did that; she was traumatised from the one time she’d dropped her phone, right smack on her face, the pain unforgettable and highly undesired. He chose not to say anything, simply choosing to lie on his back beside her. The girl leaned over to give him a kiss, which he deepened by pulling her neck, closer to him. She had on hand on his bare chest and the other reaching over to put her phone aside. “Nina, what’s going on?” Ricky asked when they pulled away, his fingers stroking the silky fabric, giving Nini tingly senses from his touch. It was enough to break her resolve for him to get more sleep tonight. She playfully shrugged, “Gina gave it to me as my present, that girl is crazy.” He just scoffed at her, knowing that she was dancing around the bush in answering his question. “If it even matters, I think you look absolutely amazing,” His hand stroked her cheek and she leaned into his touch. “Why, thank you, I think so too.” Ricky threw his head back in laughter at her confidence, but he didn’t miss to challenge her as he looked into her eyes intently. From the look he was giving her, she gained confidence, her eyes flitting to look at his lips ever so frequently, “What if we really needed protection tonight?” His fingers already playing with the hem of her short gown, he leaned over to kiss her, again. This time, Nini took the initiative to straddle him, pressing kisses along his jawline up to his ear. “You sure about this, babe?” He asked as he breathed against her neck, sending her chills even as the air between them grew hot and heavy. She captured his lips again, rolling her hips slightly against him, earning a groan from the boy underneath her. “Does this answer your question?” Nini breathed against his lips, while she herself tried to catch her breath, her own fingertips wandering the expanse of Ricky Bowen’s abs. He flipped them over, pressing his body close to hers, as a giggle escaped her lips. 

And, the room was filled with nothing but whispers of endearments and unintelligible sounds, affirming their love for each other.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead as they laid in bed, facing each other as they came down from their highs, “Happy birthday, Nina.” The girl picked up her phone and glanced at the time, “It’s not my birthday anymore,” She teased, their initial plans to sleep before midnight obviously fell through, “It’s my turn now to wish you, happy birthday handsome.” Ricky whispered a  _ thank you _ as his lips ghosted over Nini’s before he finally captured her lips for one final kiss, before drifting off to sleep, “Best birthday gift ever.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


It was the first time since they had been together that they both woke up to the same alarm; Ricky had always woken up earlier than Nini to get his morning workout in, the only times Nini ever woke up before Ricky did was the week that he was working at the Shipwreck to get in extra cash for the trip to Oahu. As the alarms rang simultaneously from both their phones, Ricky’s eyes opened, a groan escaping his body involuntarily, a familiar feeling of fatigue weighing him down. His parents had always said things about how your phone emits radiation and how it’s bad for your brain, all that stuff, so unfortunately for him, he had to walk over to the table opposite his bed to turn the damned alarms off. He glanced over at the girl lying beside him, who had her pillow over her head in an attempt to shut off the noise. Ricky’s eyes skimmed over her bare back and was awakened to the fact that he had also slept with no clothes on. The buy hurriedly tugged on last night’s pair of surfer shorts that were strewn on the floor, ran to switch off both alarms — he made sure to check that he didn’t accidentally snooze them, not wanting another round of blaring noises in eight minutes time. 

Nini sighed in satisfaction as silence filled the room, emerging from under the pillow. She tucked herself under the covers instinctively, eyes still closed as she fell back asleep almost immediately. Ricky took the opportunity to take a photo of her sleeping, again, wanting to remember their first special night together. “Nins, time to wake up, we gotta go hiking this morning,” Ricky called out to her as he began to pack a bag for their morning out, still only clad in his surf shorts, yet to put a shirt on. At the reminder that they were going hiking, she popped out of bed, the blanket adhering to gravity’s laws, exposing her unclothed self. She picked the nightgown off the floor, it was the nearest cloth she could reach, and quickly slipped it on, covering her goods up. Ricky turned back to check if she was up, the girl hadn’t acknowledged him yet, or so made a sound. He was met with the sight of his girlfriend standing near the bed, dressed in a gown far too short for the morning, made worse because her arms were stretched up and out. When she let her arms fall back down beside her, she caught him staring and threw him a flirty wink, “Like what you see?” A smirk grew on his face; if she wanted to tease him, then two could play this game. “I think I liked last night’s view better,” He taunted as he played with the hem of her gown with one hand, the other resting on her barely covered bum. Her breath was caught in her throat and Ricky smiled victoriously, “I’d love to do this all day but I wanna go hiking as well so get your sexy ass changed right now. Birthday boy’s orders.” She shot him a glare, almost admitting defeat when an idea popped into her mind. She took the clothes out of her bag: a bikini inside because they were going to go swimming after the hike to the waterfall, tights and a cute little cropped top. Ricky watched her, he planned to kiss her on her way to the bathroom. But, instead, he watched as she slipped the gown off and stepped into her bikini bottoms. The girl acted as if it was normal to change in front of him, taking her time to take the strings of her bikini top. She walked over to him, looking down as she fiddled with the strings, “Babe, can you help me tie up the back?” Nini would usually do up the know in front before maneuvering it to the back, but she decided that it didn’t look attractive. Plus, it was a good opportunity to win him at his own game. She would have emerged victorious at her own game if Ricky would have taken his time and ran his hands over her back and- All he did was quickly tie it up, press a quick kiss to her cheek and stalked off to the kitchen to make breakfast. Damn it, he always won.

She wrapped her arms around his waist when she was finally dressed, pressing her cheek into his topless back, enjoying the feel of their skin contact. The curly-haired boy dragged her along with him to the fridge to take out the fruits and coconut water for smoothies, Nini laughing at how they were waddling like penguins. She finally released him when breakfast was all prepared, but her arms quickly found his neck as she pulled him down to kiss her. Her hands fiddled with the cool metal chain around his neck, lips still connected with his as he lifted her up, placing her on the kitchen counter. His hands rested on her thighs as he continued to kiss her, seemingly forgetting about breakfast. They were gasping for oxygen when they finally separated from each other; Ricky went back into the room to put a shirt on and finish packing while Nini bottled the smoothies and wrapped the sandwiches to go. They ate on the drive there, Nini feeding Ricky as he took the wheel. Her head was lost in the clouds, wondering how she garnered so many brain cells in the morning to play that game of tease with Ricky, until she felt him grab her arm to manually lift the sandwich into his mouth — the poor guy was hungry for some real food after that intense workout last night. 

The Waimea Canyons were just as breathtaking as Nini remembered them to be, the hiking trail thankfully dry because it miraculously hadn’t rained in a week. At every part of the trail, she shared funny stories of when she’d hiked with her brothers as they were growing up, the couple laughing at the memories of young Nathan and Nicholas Roberts being stupid. They talked the whole way down to the waterfall, Nini shrieking when the cool water hit them. Ricky tackled her, easily carrying her bridal style, threatening to throw her into the clear water — he knew he wouldn’t do that to her, since he didn’t actually know how deep it really was, but it never hurt to tease. The brunette girl took her clothes off and headed into the water first, Ricky taking in the view of her as he slipped his muscle tank off. It was rather crowded, he would never understand how Hawaii was literally full of tourists all year round, their lull periods making the thought of peak periods like death. After he organised their things at a corner, Ricky turned around, wading in the water to make his way to her. He saw Nini talking with two guys, a small smile on her face, much different from the usual glare she gave any guy that tried to hit her up. Ricky tried to rationalise her niceness toward the guys, maybe she knew them or she was just trying to be nice; she wouldn’t do anything to make him feel unloved, right? 

“Hey lover,” His hand on the small of her back, the smile on his face mirroring hers when she realised he was finally next to her. He casually remarked, “You look so happy.” 

“Aw, little Nini’s all grown up now, she’s got a boyfriend,” One of the guys messed with her hair, the brunette girl shooting him a glare. “Can’t wait to hear what Nic thinks when he finds out,” The other guy taunted her. Nini rolled her eyes at them, “He already knows, dumbo.” The guys introduced themselves to Ricky; they were Nic’s childhood friends, both working as tour guides on the island, which is why they were down at the hot tourist spot early in the morning. The short exchange ended when one of the tour groups were leaving to resume their hike, the guys letting the couple get back to their time alone together. 

“Lover? That’s a first,” Nini teased as they headed deeper into the water. Ricky groaned; in his defense, he was trying to establish territory without making her feel like a possession. “Let me off, it’s my birthday today,” He pleaded with her to drop it, to which she gave him a pointed look but let it go anyway. They stayed in the lake for a rather long time, managing to find a submerged rock that they were able to sit on as the waterfall sprayed them. As they hiked back up, Nini brought Ricky to a less-travelled path, one that her parents had brought them to, and she showed Ricky an alternative view of the canyons. There, she told him five things she appreciated about him: his personality, his passion for his work, his determination to wake up to exercise every morning (she could never), his bravery to leave his home to come to Kauai alone and his gentleness with her. “Aw, thank you Nins. But, why so feelsy today?” They were perched beside each other on a rock, enjoying the view of the vast canyons. Her hand on his thigh, “You just deserve to be told that you are loved for being you.” It was the sweetest thing that he’d ever heard. 

Nini shifted to sit between his legs and took her phone out to show him something on her phone. It was a video compilation of his people back in Oahu — Carlos, Seb, some of his cousins, his dad and grandad and even his mom and grandma — wishing him a happy birthday and telling of one thing that they appreciated about Ricky. “Nins, you didn’t have to,” He wrapped his arms around her small frame in acknowledgement of her effort to make his birthday in Kauai feel more like home in Oahu. She simply stroked his cheek, letting him slowly take it all in, processing what his family and friends had affirmed of him, especially the stuff his mom and grandmother said. “Happy birthday, lover,” Nini teased eventually, but Ricky’s reaction was different from the first time. He leaned in to kiss her fully on the lips, catching her by surprise. 

They hiked all the way back to the car, holding hands the entire way. It was so humid that Nini’s hands got really sweaty and she had to let go more than a few times to wipe their hands against their pants — Ricky taking this opportunity to tease her, wiping the sweat off his hands on her face. She was absolutely disgusted but still let him hold her hand afterwards, figuring she would sweat on his hands later for revenge anyway, also because she just really wanted to hold his hand. 

They had lunch at the South Shore at Seas the Day to spend some time with Nate and Emma, since it was on the way to the North Shore. The drive to the Tunnels beach on the North Shore was an hour and a half, the exact reason why neither of them frequented that part of the island. Nini kept Ricky company as he drove, despite the fact that the waking up early in the morning combined with the hike and their hearty lunch made her really drowsy. They mostly jammed along to the songs on Nini’s specially curated playlist, in celebration of his birthday. Other times, they discussed the views they drove past, Nini giving little history lessons about each place, with a lil spice of their own Roberts memories. She thanked him ever so often for driving too; she could see that he was fighting sleep as much as she was and it was his birthday, he wasn’t supposed to be labouring so hard. They were halfway through a conversation talking about church and religion when they finally pulled up at the nearest parking lot near Tunnels beach. The couple grabbed the whole load of stuff that they brought: a beach umbrella, beach blankets, surfboards and all their beach essentials, Nini taking the initiative to set up everything when Ricky went back to the car to get the surfboards that they’d forgotten to bring along the first time. It was their usual set-up, except it was done by her instead of the usual gentleman who insisted that she let him do all the heavy-lifting. The beach mat was nicely laid out under the shade of the umbrella and Nini decided that she would surprise him a little; she stripped to her bikini, lay down like she usually did, on her stomach with her elbows propped up against the cloth, chin resting between her hands as she watched Ricky walk toward her with the surfboards. He placed the surfboards next to her, bending down to kiss her hairline because she looked really cute at that moment — and he was also impressed that she had read him that well.

She tugged the hem of his muscle tank and he let her ease it off his body, quickly taking his place on the mat beside her. “I can’t believe that it’s barely been half a day but we’re already dead,” Ricky joked, attesting that he’d truly aged a year older; Nini scoffing at his remark, teasing that he was weak. “Don’t worry about things, let’s just sleep now because you have half a day more of things lined up, birthday boy.”

“Thank you, Nina,” A single sentence encapsulating all the gratitude he felt toward her for the half of the day that had already passed, and in advance for the other half of the day that was to come. Nini gave him a kiss in response, feeling his thumbs sink into the skin at her waist, whispering an  _ I love you _ before they collapsed on the mat for an hour.

Nini woke up first; there were babies on the beach and one of them was crying really loudly, Nini being sensitive to sounds was eventually woken up. Ricky was still conked out on the beach blanket; this was one of the first times that Nini had woken up before her boyfriend, the other times when he was working nights at the Shipwreck. She occupied herself by taking her phone out of his backpack; she turned on the camera to snap a few pictures of him against the beautiful scenery of the blue and white water and golden sand. She then took his phone out of the backpack and turned on the camera to take a few flattering shots of herself, proceeding to change up his lockscreen wallpaper again as a little birthday treat. There was nothing left to do so she just watched as he slept, resisting running her fingers through his hair or across his exposed back and arms. Just as she laid back down next to him, Ricky’s eyes fluttered open, meeting hers, smiles growing on their faces.

“You’re awake already?” His thumb stroked her cheek lovingly as he slowly regained some bearings after waking up. She shifted to straddle him, “Yea, the babies were really noisy.” She pouted cutely, a glint in her eyes teasing, “It’s been a while since then, and I’ve been wanting to kiss you the entire time.” Her body pressed against his as their lips moved against each other, Nini running her hands up and down his toned arms, feeling the contours of his muscles. He flipped them over, grip on her waist strong, pulling her impossibly closer to him.

“Babe, you said there are babies here?” Ricky pulled away, her arms still defiantly around his neck, not wanting to separate from him. “You know we shouldn’t do this if there are kids around right?” Nini was about to roll her eyes but she remembered it was just the lifeguard in him, the passionate man that cared about everyone on the beach, and let him have his way. “I hate you so much for saying that but at the same time, I love you for saying that.” He raised an eyebrow in confusion, keeping quiet to let her explain. “I just wanna keep kissing you right now, I hate that you’re making us stop. But this, this passion you have for ocean safety and making sure everyone is having the best time possible. I love seeing you do your job with such excellence, beyond what they demand of you.” He couldn't help but lean in to kiss her again; it took everything in him to not pin her down on that beach blanket and kiss her endlessly. “Shall we go for a surf?”

They walked to Haena Beach Park to catch the waves there, not before keeping their belongings in the car. The sudden drop-off in the seafloor and absence of the reefs made for easy surge of the waves for a good surf. They paddled out to catch the waves, pointlessly competing to see who could get inside faster. To Ricky’s surprise, his girlfriend’s crazy competitiveness seemed to put turbos in her arms; she paddled the heck to the inside and caught the wave first. She rode the heck out of it as well, he watched as she cut through the white water, and snapped a crack over the lid of the wave. “Go Nina,” He cheered her on as she surfed closer and closer to the shoreline, diving into the water as the wave broke. Ricky waved at her as she signalled for him to catch the next wave. He paddled on to the inside and stood up confidently, riding the wave and having the time of his life. She watched as he attempted a barrel, wishing that she could have recorded this moment on camera for him. He was no pro, and ended up falling over inside of the barrel, unable to emerge. Nini laughed when she saw his head pop out of the water, shaking like he was a dog trying to dry off. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw someone struggling in the deep water, she knew that Ricky had seen it too because he was cutting the water furiously to reach the person. Just before he could reach the struggling person, a jetski rode onto the water, the ocean safety lifeguards on Haena beach bringing the person back to shore. Turns out they had a cramp and the water was way too deep to reach the bottom. Nini met Ricky halfway, paddling to the boy who was catching his breath as he sat on his surfboard.

“That was really heroic of you,” She kissed his shoulder when he pulled her close to him with a firm grip around her waist. “What are you talking about? I didn’t even save the person,” He shook his head, knowing he wasn’t the hero. Nini pulled him closer to her and planted a kiss on his lips, before the sheer force she used toppled them over into the water. “Nina, you really wanted to kiss me that badly?” He teased as they both emerged from the water and got on their surfboards again. “But it’s true, it was heroic enough that you even tried. Nothing is going to stop your passion for ocean safety, isn’t it?” Ricky was lying on his surfboard and holding Nini’s hand, he gave her a little squeeze, “You’re right about one thing though, it’s a job hazard and kind of like second nature when it comes to saving lives.” She kissed the back of his hand, making a face at the taste of the salty seawater, “It’s a good thing, Ricky, that you care about others. It’s one of the things I love about you.” He sat up to give her a hug, throwing the both of them off balance and into the water again. He muttered frustrated under his breath, “Seriously, we can’t even have a moment,” to which Nini threw her head back in laughter.

“I love you, Ricky,” She smiled as she told him and he smiled back at her. They share eye contact for a brief moment, till Nini, in her perfectly good-natured competitiveness, challenged Ricky to yet another paddle showdown. He just followed behind her as she caught the next wave, watching the girl he loved do some magic as she rode the wave.

The couple took to the showers after a good hour in the sea, rinsing off the sand and the salty water off their skin and hair — Ricky dressed in another one of his muscle tanks, while Nini was clad in one of his smaller shirts, which was still too long for her; it fell slightly above her mid thigh, covering her denim shorts. When she emerged from the bathroom, his arms immediately wrapped around her waist, giving her the hug that he wanted earlier while they were talking out at sea. She complied, reaching us to kiss his neck as his hand dropped lower and lower to cup her bum underneath his shirt. He squeezed her bum playfully and she hit his shoulder, “Don’t, you said there were children, Ricky.” He intertwined his fingers with hers, “I say this every time but, you look so hot in my shirt. I can’t help it, baby.” She smirked and let him bend down to kiss her neck a little before leading them back to Tunnels beach to hang before his surprise party with the guys, or dinner.

The families that were at the beach from when they were first there were still around, they probably stuck around to watch the sunset. The both of them were slightly disappointed at the presence of the children, wanting their time to be a time they could spend intimately with each other. No lifeguard watching, no children, no tourists, just them. Ricky watched as Nini strummed his guitar softly, singing Taylor Swift’s Lover. At first, he didn’t realise what song it was, but when she looked into his eyes as she sang the line  _ take me out, take me home _ , he recognised her cheeky smile.

_ You’re my, my, my, my… lover. _

He rolled his eyes as she blew an air kiss at him, in disbelief that she wouldn’t let him live down his jealousy moment earlier that morning. Ricky continued to watch her as she continued to sing, her eyes lighting up each time she sang the last line of the chorus. Her hair blowing in the wind as the sun was setting behind her, her beautiful voice ringing through the beach; he sat opposite her thinking that the best gift possible that day was her. It’d been so long since they were able to spend time together, without any distractions, and having her all to himself on his birthday was more than he could ever ask for. Nini climbed into his lap when she was done with the song, which he did not realise because he was too busy thinking about her, and he kissed her, hands roaming across the skin of her back under his shirt. They pulled apart to catch their breath, Ricky leaning his forehead against her shoulder, his breath tickling her neck. She let out a giggle when his lips moved across her neck, she held him by his cheek, stopping him in the name of “protecting the kids”. They stood on the beach looking out to the water and the pink, orange sky, Nini leaning against Ricky and his arms tight around her. He told her about how they used to go to the beach, him, his dad and his mom, to watch the sunset every Sunday and he and his mom would look for the green flash. Mr Bowen didn’t believe in the phenomenon and dismissed the both of them but they’d seen it once, just once. Ricky hadn’t seen the amazing phenomenon since then and thought it would be cool if he could see it with Nini in his arms, right there and then.

The sun was about to disappear below the horizon and they watched in expectation, holding onto each other tightly as if that would make the green flash appear. The sun dipped under the line that separated the sea and the sky, the orange circle long gone as the cool evening breeze blew against their bodies. “Aw, Ricky, I’m sorry that we didn’t get to see it,” Nini turned around and cupped his cheeks, looking into his eyes to find any hint of disappointment in them. She found it, there was no way he wouldn't be disappointed if he wished for it, especially on his birthday. He gave her a weak smile, thankful that she was comforting him, “Maybe, it wasn’t meant to be today. Don’t worry, Nins, I’m just glad I can be here with you.” He kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug, the girl burying her face in his chest, the feeling of warmth chasing away any of his disappointment.

It was finally time for dinner, or the surprise for Ricky. Nini had told him she had booked them dinner at a restaurant next to Lydgate beach. What he did not know was that there was a party there waiting for him. The birthday boy insisted that he drove them, refusing to let Nini take the wheel. She tried the wonders of her pout but this time, it didn’t work. Ricky took the wheel and rode them to the east part of the island. Texts were coming into Nini’s phone, more and more as they neared Lydgate; in that moment, Nini was thankful she wasn’t the one driving, else she might have gotten caught.

“Oh wow there’s a party going on here tonight. It’s a little early to drink though, don’t you think?” He remarked as they pulled up in the parking lot, the bonfire emitting a bright light and strong warmth. Nini played along, agreeing that it was rather unusual for a party in the middle of fall, for no occasion at all. She led him toward the restaurant, away from the party, so that EJ, Red, Noah and some other guys could come from behind to surprise him. And, boy, was he surprised. They threatened to throw him into the water but let him off when he said that he didn’t have any spare clothes to change into. He backhugged Nini and kissed her head, to express his gratitude towards her for coordinating everything, Noah taking photos of everything, capturing their sweet moment. Ricky felt so lucky in that moment, he had a girlfriend who he loved and loved him so, and amazing friends that cared to put on a celebration for him to make him feel like home. Despite it being his first birthday away from Oahu, it felt like home.

Maybe a little too much like home. He began to lose his inhibitions, like he used to back in Oahu. It was a happy occasion, he let the guys coach the drinks down his throat. Nini was talking with her brother and Emma when Ricky pranced over to her, he picked her up and spun her around in circles. They would have fallen if Nate hadn’t helped to stabilise them.

He had drunk more cups than she had ever seen him down. Nini pulled him over to the side by his elbow, hands cupping his cheeks to make him look her in the eyes. “Ricky, I know it’s your birthday but I think you really had too much to drink, baby.” He didn’t say anything and just continued looking into her eyes. Then, to none of their surprise, he captured her lips with hers, her body immediately relaxing against his, her hands finding her way to his head, fingers entangling in his curly hair. One hand was on her neck and the other found her way to her bum again, squeezing her ever so often. They pulled apart to catch their breaths, Ricky’s hands still caressing her body and Nini’s hands cupping his face again. “I know I said this earlier this morning but I need to say this again: you are my best birthday gift ever.”

She smiled at him and kissed him again, letting him pull her body closer to his, as much as it was humanly possible. It was rather early in the night but she thought to the next morning, he definitely was going to wake up with a mood, a headache and no choice but to head out for duty. The girl made him drink as much water as possible, helping him to flush the alcohol out of his system and at one point, he finally sobered up, hugging Nini, thanking her and apologising for going ham on the drinks that night.

She really did love him, she wanted nothing to get in the way of the career he’d put so much effort to build, even if that meant stopping his fun and helping him get sober. She really was his best birthday gift ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fall is over and we're coming over to the last season. hang in there, everyone!


	6. back to winter

The Roberts siblings hated tourists; Mr Roberts would chide his children, saying that they were the main sources of income for the island, he was not wrong at all. It’s just that it didn’t matter if Nate and Nini had stayed in Kauai for their entire lives, the crowd was something they just couldn’t get used to. If there was a festival, the siblings would throw tantrums to avoid them like the plague; although it never worked because the Roberts family always had to show up for the rest of the island. Unfortunately for them, the one festival that they loved as children was the one their parents had decided to sit out on was the Festival of Lights, which drew an unbelievably large crowd from all over the world. The Roberts children were enamored by the sparkly lights and pretty christmas trees, each time they drove past the Historic County Building. Mr and Mrs Roberts made it their family tradition to light up their house instead — covering the living room with fairy light and candle holders made up of cans, a christmas tree decorated with recycled artwork from when they were kids. It was their own Festival of Lights and the children loved it, never once asking to return to the Historic County Building any longer. 

Christmas was always a little weird in Hawaii. Your usual Santa Claus with a hat and red winter coat in a sleigh on a white Christmas was replaced with a floral print shirt with a lei, riding a surfboard. The vibes were obviously different, other people would be wrapped up in wool cardigans, sitting in front of the crackling fireplace drinking hot chocolates, the tropical country experienced a winter that was much like summer in other countries. But, the early Christmas jingles playing in stores late November till the end of December were the same. It was barely a week in and Nini was already going crazy.

What drove her even crazier was the fact that they had a live performance for the Festival of Lights and she was invited to perform every wednesday for each of the four weeks that the festival was going on. It was definitely a good opportunity to get recognition from tourists and build her portfolio as an artist but the sheer thought of having to enter the premises filled with people — not just people actually, tourists — Nini hated it so much, but a girl’s gotta do what she gotta do to get that bread. 

She was sitting with Ricky at their usual quiet spot at Waimea docks. This time they weren’t alone, they were joined by some random tourist high school kids on their winter break, having a steamy game of truth or dare. Ricky buried his head in the crook of his girlfriend’s neck, groaning when the teens began to cheer as their friend executed a dare, “This was supposed to be our spot, baby. What happened to the peace and quiet?” Nini kissed his hair and continued scrolling through her phone for suggestions of songs to sing for her set. Another series of whoops and hollers filled the still night and she felt Ricky shift beside her to stand up, picking up her guitar in his hand, a hand reached out to her to pull her up, “Come on, let’s get out of here. I can’t do this anymore.” The girl could feel his frustration and rose to her feet, standing on her tippy toes to kiss him fully on the lips, “Let’s go over to mine, my mom made tiramisu anyway.” He smiled excitedly and pulled her over to his car, making the quick two minute drive back to the Roberts household. 

The festival lights were sitting in a box in the middle of the living room, yet to be put up. Everyone was just too busy this year, they hadn’t found a time to decorate yet. As Ricky dug into the tiramisu that Nini took out from the fridge, she opened up her instagram once again to look through the suggestions her friends had given for her performance at the Festival; she had posted a QnA on her instagram story earlier that day. Kourtney was the first to view her story, writing in caps _8 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BY DESTINY’S CHILD, YOU GO GURL_ . Nini chuckled at her best friend’s suggestion, reading the next one from Gina. Gina Porter was asking for a punch, telling Nini to play _Jingle bells_ , despite knowing that Nini _freakin_ hated that song. As a child, she’d whine to her momma saying that there was no fun riding in a one horse open sleigh, Kauai had no snow to make it fun. Growing up, it became an overplay, over-enthusiastic jingle that Nini grew tired of. EJ had spammed her with multiple replies, requesting _Home_ and _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas_ by Michael Bublé as well as another classic Jingle Bell Rock. There were other requests as well but Nini scrolled past all of them quickly, then proceeded to throw her phone into the depth of their sofa. 

Ricky was done goblin up the tiramisu and had picked her guitar up, strumming the introduction of I’ll be Home for Christmas softly, humming the melody softly as she leaned into his side, putting off her setlist. “Don’t you think it’s ironic that you’re singing that song? Cause you won’t be home for Christmas this year?” She inquired in a gentle voice. Ricky put the guitar away immediately and looped his arm around her back, holding her close, “Isn’t there a saying home is where the heart is though?” There was a playful glint in his eyes but Nini saw past that, she knew that he was a little sad that he couldn’t spend Christmas in Oahu but she couldn’t help but think that maybe it would be okay because she was there to spend Christmas with him. She was pulled out of her thoughts as Ricky leaned in to kiss her on the lips, confirming the latter. “I think I’m glad that I’m able to watch you perform for the Festival, Nina,” He reminded her that she had to submit that setlist soon. “Should I play _I’ll be home for Christmas_ for you?” She asked, looking up at him. He stroked her hair with his fingers lovingly, “Whatever makes this whole gig less painful for you, babe.” 

That’s all that really mattered. 

The organisers of the Festival had made her wear a lei, she refused because she was going to play the guitar, a first of her acoustic gigs; Nate and Emma insisted that there would be more _feels_ if she would use her guitar, instead of the keyboard. She had to wear the santa hat instead, Ricky flicking the white ball at the end to tease her. For her first gig, Emma had put her in twin dutch braids, a cute hairstyle to start the Festival right. Her whole family was there to support her, despite their innate hate for the crowds at the Festival, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw them in the audience, swaying along to the rhythm of the music — her dad’s and mom’s smiles were huge, she was glad she could make them proud. Nate was standing between Emma and Ricky, his arms around their shoulders, singing along with her. They cheered and hollered louder than anyone did for her, and for that she was thankful. Nini could see that Ricky was enraptured by the lights in the building, his eyes wandering to take in the pretty and thoughtful displays. He looked like a child, so in wonder — a smile growing on Nini’s face as she saw his eyes widen and light up in awe.

She strummed the intro to _I’ll be home for Christmas_ , looking Ricky in the eyes as she sang for him. Nate saw the way that his sister was looking at the boy next to him and whispered to tease him, “She really never looks at anyone like that.” The boy was too lost in her eyes that he didn’t respond to Nate. The Roberts man scoffed and confided in his wife, complaining that the couple was too caught up in each other to bother about him, his wife shushing him so she could enjoy Nini’s performance. 

Ricky went over when her performance was done, taking the guitar from her, he enveloped her in a big hug. Pulling away, he flicked the white ball at the end of her hat again, “You were amazing, Nina. I loved the last song.” She winked at him, “It made this gig a lot less painful.” The Roberts parents called them over, telling them that they should be heading home. “Actually, momma, can we stay for a little bit to just walk around?” Nate saw their expressions harden, and told his parents that they could go home first, tossing his car keys to his sister. He took the guitar from Ricky and Nini hollered a “thank you, you’re the best” to which he told them not to take too long. She excitedly pulled Ricky’s hand to show him around the building, even before her parents turned around to leave. 

“It’s pretty cool here, right?” Nini intertwined her fingers with his and he lifted their hands to his lips to kiss the back of her hand. “Yeah, it’s really beautiful here. Why don’t your parents like it here?” He inquired curiously, she merely shrugged in response. “I guess, it’s the crowds. Even this year, it’s just packed with people. I think they were also scared that they’d lose us.” Ricky’s grip on her hand tightened and she squeezed his hand in response, “You’re not going to lose me, Ricky. I’m a grown child.” She giggled when he let go of her hand to sling his arm around her shoulder, “Now you can’t run away from me.” Nini reached up to kiss his cheek, “Who said I wanted to run away?” 

They spent a good half an hour walking around the small building, Ricky never missing the opportunity to take photos of his beautiful girlfriend. She was also more than happy to pose for pictures, seeing as this was the first time she was able to enjoy the Festival. Nini pulled him into the photo booth when he saw it, he was excited at first but then his mood dampened when he recalled the last time they were in a photobooth together. There was completely no photo-taking, and an abundance of tears. She noticed that his grip on her tightened a little and cupped his face with her hands as he stood opposite her, “You okay?” Ricky pulled her into his embrace, his arms around her small figure strong and sure, not wanting to let go. “Woah babe, I love you but talk to me please… What’s going on?” 

“Tell me I’m not going to lose you,” He whispered into the crook of her neck and Nini forcefully pulled away in shock for a few moments, before she realised what he was referring to. She pushed him to sit on the bench in the booth and straddled him, capturing his lips with hers. He desperately entangled his fingers in her hair, his hands wandering down her back to her waist to pull her closer to him, if it was even possible. When they finally pulled away, she cupped his cheeks again, “I told you, you’re not gonna lose me and I’m not gonna run away. I’m your Nina, Ricky.” Nini coaxed a smile out of him as she talked about the stupid things she did that no one else would love her for — like how she just couldn’t cuddle when they slept, or how she liked to put her feet under his legs when they turned the a/c on; she would drill into his thighs, and he would tell her off but let her do it anyway. Nini said that no one else would help her change her guitar strings ever so often, and no one else would laugh and kiss her after she let out her signature mini burps after every meal. Only he would joke with her about farting like they were little kids, yet be completely serious when they were sharing their heartfelt thoughts. Ricky was just about to kiss her again when she turned around in his lap and got the photo booth to work. They quickly posed for the camera for a series of four photos and finally exited the booth, Nini pulling them out quickly so they wouldn’t keep anyone waiting for too long. Ricky felt his face burning when the couple waiting for their turn looked crossed, feeling bad that they had to wait. 

Nate’s request for them to not take too long was ignored as Nini decided she wanted to drive, and she drove them over to their favourite spot, the docks. They were talking about family Christmas traditions and Ricky was telling a story of his little cousin when she interjected with a question, “When do you think you’ll go back to Oahu?” He knew that this would come up in a conversation sooner or later, but he definitely did not expect her to bring it up at this moment. “I don’t know,” Ricky honestly had no idea and no plans at all, he’d just passed his one year work anniversary in Kauai a few weeks, which he’d celebrated with Nini with a dinner on Kekaha beach with the food that Mrs Roberts had helped them prepare. He knew for sure that he was in no hurry to leave, but also knew that he would want to return eventually, it was his home and where his family were after all. 

It was Nini’s turn to bury herself into his arms and she told him, “Ricky, you should go live your best life. I’ll wanna go wherever you will go, you know?” His heart felt heavy when she said that, knowing that her brothers and her parents would definitely not be okay if their Baby Roberts left them for a guy. “Nins, you think your parents will be okay with that?” She sniffled, “I don’t care if they aren’t okay, I just wanna be with you.” Ricky held her shoulders and pushed her away so that he could get a good look at her face, “Nina, I think I’ll be staying here for at least another year. I haven’t even thought of when I wanna go back yet. But, maybe, hopefully by then you’ll come along with me too.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb as she leaned into his touch, “Why the sudden question?” Nini just shrugged, she’d been thinking about it for the past few days ever since they’d first mentioned that Ricky wasn’t going to be home for Christmas. She was feeling bad that she was able to be in the company of her lover and her loved ones, and he only had her and her family. The Bowen clan would be missing a son this Christmas and Nini couldn't help that her heart ached for him. “Promise me that you’ll talk about home whenever you miss them or want to go back, okay? We’ll make it work for you,” She tugged his elbow, eliciting a nod from him. 

“Just in case you needed to hear this, I want you whenever I am too.” She smiled at him and leaned into him further. The both of them contemplated their futures together, in their own minds, knowing that they’d hope their futures included each other. 

They sat there in silence until Nini’s mood suddenly flipped as she recalled something. “I gotta show you this song that we accidentally heard on Spotify on the way to work today, I really love it so much.” Ricky looked at her excitement, intrigued by the way her smile lit up when she talked about the Alex Goot song. The girl turned on her Spotify to show Ricky the song, the couple glued to each other as they paid attention to the lyrics.

_When you kiss me, like you mean it_

_and there's no distractions_

_it's so real, I can feel it_

_in my bones, it's magic_

They were barely into the first few bars when the music stopped playing, Nini’s phone ringing atrociously with a call from Nate to nag at them for taking forever to reach home. She groaned as Ricky stood up and pulled her up along with him. “You can play it for me when we get back to yours, Nins,” He pulled her close as they walked to the car. She smiled a little, “Are you saying you want me to sing it for you?” 

Ricky kissed her temple, “It would be an absolute honour.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Nate held his sister’s hair up as she threw up into the toilet bowl, all of the little that she had eaten for dinner emptied from her stomach. A tear slid down her cheek as she wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper, which she brushed away when she gargled the foul taste away at the sink. This was the third time she’d puked that day, once after each meal; it was needless to say that she was drained of energy and lifeless. Her brother had called Ricky to inform him of her sick state, so that he wouldn’t expect her for lunch and their planned date after work. It was a rare weekday that Nini wasn’t scheduled for a gig and she hated that she was sick so they couldn’t go through with it. She refused to let him see her, asking Emma to tell him that she’d be fine and she would see him the next day; Nate had insisted that Ricky was worried and wanted to visit but Nini’s sad eyes and his wife’s stern ones told him no and he decided he would back off this once. 

Nini slumped right into bed after her post-dinner vomit fest and was almost out like a light when her phone pinged, lighting up with a message from Ricky. 

**_Ricky_ **

_Hope you’re doing okay baby, Nate said you’re still throwing up pretty badly. Promise me you’ll drink more water and see a doctor tomorrow, please. I love you, Nina, please get better soon._

She barely read the preview message on her lockscreen, unable to muster the strength to hold the phone up to unlock it. Another tear escaped her eye, falling onto her pillow, forming a wet spot. All Nini wanted was cuddles from Ricky but she hated the state of gross she was at that moment, she wasn’t ready for Ricky to see that side of her yet. Nini knew that Ricky would embrace all of it, the pretty and the ugly but something in her stopped her from calling him over. As she thought about her boyfriend, she fell into a slumber, dreaming of their date that was supposed to happen that night, wishing that it would have happened. 

Little did she know that Ricky had been sitting on the couch in her living room since she’d retreated into her room for the night, after her poor attempt at dinner. Nate had called him over so that he could see her when she was conked out for the night; Nini didn’t want him to see her but if she didn’t know he came, it was just as good, right? Emma almost cursed when she saw the curly-haired boy sitting on the couch, almost going off on her husband; she only calmed down when she saw the state of worry that Ricky was in. He was talking with Mr and Mrs Roberts in hushed whispers about the day’s events when they heard scampering and retching sounds that followed. Mrs Roberts rose to her feet, following the siblings to the toilet to check on her daughter, her heart aching for the poor girl. Mr Roberts let out a sigh, head in his hands until the heaving stopped. “Nini, drink some water, please,” Ricky could hear Nate’s voice, he also could picture the guy shoving the glass and straw into Nini’s face. It was clear when he heard him say “Nins, don’t be stubborn, you have to drink some water”, that his girlfriend had refused to ingest the liquid, probably out of fear that it would come out the same way it went in. He heard Mrs Roberts’ gentle voice, cursing her daughter to comply with Nate’s orders, “Ni, come on, you wanna get better for Ricky right?” A silence followed her question, followed by a “There you go, you can go lie down now”, Ricky assumed it was when she finished the whole glass of water. 

“I really hope she feels better soon,” He said to no one in particular; perhaps to himself, not wanting to see or imagine her suffering anymore. Mrs Roberts had rejoined them in the living room, talking about how worried she was about her youngest child. It was uncommon for Nini to get sick this badly, or at all. The girl had a robust immune system, and rarely even caught the common cold, so it hurt their family to see the baby of the family so ill. “I think we should cancel that business meeting tomorrow, I’m going to take her to the clinic to find out what’s going on,” The older woman clasped her husband’s hand, and he immediately took his phone out to make the necessary arrangements. “Mrs Roberts, if you guys have an important meeting tomorrow morning, I’ll bring Nini to the doctor’s and take care of her until you guys can come back.” Mrs Roberts eyes widened, “Ricky, son, aren’t you on duty tomorrow?” He nodded but opened his mouth to explain that he could make the necessary arrangements so that he could care for his sick girlfriend. The older woman shook her head, “We can’t take you away from your job, even Nini wouldn’t want you to do that because of her.” Ricky leaned into the couch, frustrated that the Roberts were one-kind of people — selfless. “Don’t worry, Ricky. For now, just focus on your job and I will focus on my role as a mother to make sure Nini is well, okay?” Mrs Roberts pat his back just as Nate walked into the living room. 

“Hey man, I’m glad you came. You can go see her now, she’s been out for a while now; I doubt that she will wake up anytime soon.” Nate fist-bumped him, continuing to explain to him that they might need him to follow Nini to the clinic to see a doctor until Mrs Roberts took the liberty to tell him they had postponed their meeting so they could take care of Baby Roberts. She shoo-ed him into Nini’s room, telling him that he should see her then quickly go back to get some rest; Ricky was so appreciative of her motherly instincts to look out for him, not because he was Nini’s boyfriend, but as Nate’s close friend and he’d gotten along well with all of them. He walked into the room, it was just as he remembered it to be except that it felt much more lifeless than he last remembered. Nini’s blanket was tucked up to her chin, a bucket on the floor in case she couldn’t run to the toilet fast enough. She looked so tired, Ricky noted as he walked closer to her. He settled himself in the chair next to her bed, eyes not leaving her still body the entire time. “Feel better soon, Nina. Babe, I miss you and the date we were supposed to be on now,” He whispered into the air, hoping it would find her somewhere in her dreams. 

  
  


Nini had woken up at around 3am and 6am to a gagging sensation, the 3am vomit consisted of nothing except water and she was basically dry-heaving at 6am. She returned to bed with a good morning text from Ricky who had just woken up for his morning workout. 

**_Ricky_ **

_Morning love, I hope you’re feeling better this morning. Drink more water okay, your body needs it._

_Btw I think I caught a bug too_

_I caught a lovebug, I love you so much_

_I hope that made you at least smile. Please don’t disown me, I love you Nina_

If she didn’t have a burning sensation in the back of her eyes, she would have rolled them so hard. Nini settled with as much of a smile as she could handle and a short reply to his texts. 

**_Nina_ **

_Hey lovebug, still down and out but ily and imy_

She knew that he hated abbreviation slangs but it was all she could manage before she succumbed to the sleep her body seemed to be putting her into. 

What felt like ten seconds later, her mom woke her up to bring her to their local clinic to get a prescription for medicine. The doc said that she probably caught a stomach flu bug and it would take her body awhile before she would recover, prescribing a whole list of liquids for her fever, blocked nose, and stomach problems. The clinic wasn’t even that far away from their house but she slept both ways, Mrs Roberts having to wake her each time they arrived at their destination. She continued in her state of slumber, waking up to eat food and her meds, or to throw up the contents of her stomach. During dinner time, Nate was talking with her about Ricky and their conversation at lunch, “He’s really worried, Nins. Are you sure you don’t want him to come around? It might make you feel better.” Nini knew that it definitely would make her feel better but she wasn’t feeling her best and it was not something she wanted Ricky to see. “You want me to ask for one of his hoodies or t-shirts for you?” Nate volunteered, and Nini nodded almost immediately, it was probably the next closest thing that she could get to him being physically there with her. 

Nate dropped Ricky that text and he came over shortly with one of his jackets, an old ocean safety shirt and one pair of surf shorts that he’d outgrown. Ricky settled in the Roberts kitchen that night, talking with Emma about how Nini had been doing that day, the bag of stuff lying on the counter top. The blonde woman was telling him that she was going to be taking care of Nini the next day, when her husband came out of her sister-in-law’s room to get the clothes from Ricky. “Thanks a lot man, I’m sorry that she doesn’t want to see you,” Nate apologised before returning to the room to drop his stuff off with Nini. Ricky wore a sad smile and started typing a short text to his girlfriend. 

**_Ricky_ **

_Wish I could be there to comfort you. Hope you feel better soon, love_

Emma was done with Nini being evasive and a thought came to mind. “Are you free tomorrow?” Ricky looked at the blonde, hesitating to answer; he had a hunch of what she was about to say and he didn’t want to say anything wrong. “You’re scheduled for duty but you’ll make arrangements for Nins?” She could read his destination and answered the question for him, to which he nodded and let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, then why don’t you come over tomorrow to take care of her? I’ll make lunch and keep it in the rice cooker so you don’t have to do anything.” He leaned over to give her a hug in gratitude, he was finally going to see his Nina after worrying in the past few days. “Thank you, Emma.” 

Nate emerged from Nini’s room to the sight of his wife and his sister’s boyfriend in an embrace, intrigued at what might have happened. Emma took his hand when she pulled away from the hug, explaining everything and Nate kissed her head, “Finally, I thought you’d never offer.” 

The next day, Ricky came over, bright and early, bringing donuts and fruits for the Roberts family. He popped his head into Nini’s room to see her small body being swallowed up by the sheets, still in a deep slumber. He talked with Nate, as Emma cooked in the kitchen, asking if Nini had thrown up in the past night. Thankfully, the girl had only dry-heaved, the nauseous feeling overwhelming her. She even took a late night soup snack because her stomach was making noises. She was getting better and Ricky was relieved. He would finally get his Nina back. 

The Roberts home was empty pretty early in the day, Mr and Mrs Roberts off to run their business, Nate and Emma off to do the same. Ricky decided to sit in the living room as he waited for Nini to wake up, deciding that if he was the first thing he saw when she woke up, she might have been too shocked. The curly-haired boy switched the tv on, turning on Criminal Minds on Netflix, setting the volume to low for fear of waking the sleeping beauty up. 

“Em?” She emerged from her bedroom, hair in a mess, Ricky’s shirt falling mid-thigh, creases evident. Her eyes widened when they made contact with Ricky’s and Nini immediately covered her face with one hand, rapidly combing her hair down with the other. ‘You look cute in my shirt, Nins,” He walked over to her and hugged her gently, letting out a whisper, “I missed you so much.” A blush rose to her cheeks, her words coming out muffled, “Babe, I look terrible right now and don’t tell me I look beautiful or cute because I know I’m none of that right now.” He combed her hair with his fingers, occasionally letting his hand stray to her cheek, rubbing against her soft skin with his thumb. “Why don’t you go brush your teeth and wash your face and I’ll get you some breakfast?” Nini nodded in his chest and let him kiss her temple before she retreated to the bathroom. 

Ricky had miso soup and hot tea laid out for her on the counter when she came out, refreshed from her morning routine. He volunteered some information, updating her about what he was up to in the past few days as she ate her soup, eyes fixated on him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He noticed that she was staring at him for a while now. She gripped onto his hand, telling him that she missed him a lot. He immediately scooted over to give her a bear hug, stroking her back while he was at it. Ricky only let her go so she could finish the soup, then they both went over to the couch to cuddle. Throughout the entire time, she didn’t talk much, she knew that her voice would come out hoarse after not speaking much in the past two day. He filled in the silence, telling her about almost every detail of his past few days until he heard her soft snores, an indicator she’d been pricked by the spindle and put back into a deep slumber. The lifeguard effortlessly carried her back to bed, settling himself in the armchair by her bed, with her guitar. 

He got up to check her temperature when he found that she was wrapping the blanket around herself tighter and tighter, to find that she was burning up. He took some towels from her drawers and filled a basin with cold water, sponging her to cool her body down. She slept for a while longer then he woke her up for lunch and meds. She tried her best to keep her food down as she settled back in the bed after the meal, having a terrible feeling that she might throw up soon. Ricky was in the kitchen washing the dishes when he heard her running to the bathroom; he quickly wiped his hands down and ran after her. Her hands were gripping the toilet bowl as she hurled her lunch out. He held her hair up and rubbed her back, telling her it was okay. He wiped her mouth and her tears away, guiding her to the sink to wash the taste of vomit out of her mouth. She was crying and he couldn’t kiss her to make her feel better and he settled for a hand on her cheek, caressing her and telling her it was okay. Nini let him coax a glass of water down her throat and say a little prayer for the water to stay in her stomach, tears falling down as she felt back asleep. Ricky had one hand on her at all times, whether it was holding her hand or a hand on her thigh, or rubbing her back and stroking her cheek. He wanted to help her feel better but he was only human, he knew it was out of his depth. 

When she woke at 4 in the afternoon, she finally spoke to him, telling him about how she had been feeling in the past few days as well, and how she was feeling at that very moment. He told her how he would have spent their date night, about how he would have brought her to the lighthouse at the other side of the island and they would have had a picnic there. He would have made her slow dance with him on the green grass, and he would have forgotten to turn the music on because he was dumb like that. He said that she would tell him it was okay and it would have been a little awkward but then also a lot of fun. Ricky didn’t forget to promise her that they would do this date as soon as she got better, creating an incentive for her to feel better soon. Nini kissed his hand that was intertwined with hers, sealing that promise. 

Emma and Nate came back for dinner and popped their heads in to check on Nini, not surprised that Ricky was nowhere to be found in the house, but Nini’s room. They were pleasantly surprised that she wasn’t asleep but was talking with Ricky candidly, a smile on her face. Nate kissed Emma when they were alone in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist, “I’m glad you got him to come over.” 

“You know I’d do anything for Nini.”

They all would.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Nini picked her own outfit that day, a navy gingham dress, braiding her hair back into a half up style. She grabbed her phone and her beige cardigan, not running out of the house before she bid her family goodbye. The girl was bubbling with excitement, she and Ricky were finally going to have their much anticipated date. She’d spent so much time thinking about it that she already knew what she wanted to wear, for the first time in a long time, not requiring Nate’s help.

His car was parked at the front of her house, and he was leaning by the side of the car, a single rose in his hand. Ricky welcomed her with opened arms, which she gladly stepped into, giving him a kiss on the lips. “Gosh, it feels good to be able to do that again,” she sighed in satisfaction, the ends of her lips reaching her ears. Ricky leaned back to take in the view under his nose, she was smiling brightly, her cheekbones popping and there was colour in her face. There was no doubt in his mind that she was well-recovered, the weight he’d been carrying in his chest for the past few days finally lifted. Nini noticed that he was staring at her and pecked his cheek, “You have the whole evening to admire my beauty, so shall we get on with this date, Bowen?” Her words burst his bubble and he pinched her cheek in mild annoyance, “Since when did you get so confident, Nins?” He inquired curiously as they got into the car, receiving a shrug in response; Nini didn’t know either, she was just feeling it that day. 

Ricky listened to Nini talk about how awful she’d been feeling in the days when she was sick. Turns out the doctor was right about the stomach flu, she’d spiked a fever for a while even after she stopped puking. The whole ordeal lasted for about a week before she got back to full function. “I missed you,” Her hand ghosted over Ricky’s thigh, settling firmly as he gripped the steering wheel. He raised his eyebrows at her statement, “Nina, I’ve been going over to your house everyday, we’ve been seeing each other everyday. What do you mean you miss me?” 

“We haven’t had time alone together in a week, Ricky. I missed being able to kiss you whenever I want without worrying my mouth will taste like puke or I’ll pass the bug to you. And, I missed touching you and not having to hold back just because my family is around,” She confessed softly, as if she was afraid that if her voice was any louder, something bad would happen. It just so happened that they arrived at a red light and he immediately turned to her, holding her chin and kissed her fully on the lips. She would have wrapped her arms around his neck and moved to straddle him if it weren’t for a honk from the car behind them. Ricky pulled away, stepping on the gas, driving them to their destination as quick as he could so they could continue with what they were interrupted from. 

He held her hand, leading her to the grass; in his other hand, holding a big bag of food and stuff. Nini helped by carrying the guitar and their phones. Laying out the mats and the lights before it got dark, they settled on the mat and began to dig into the meal that Ricky had prepped for them, with the help of Emma and Mr Roberts. It was kind of a poke bowl with a porridge base and without the raw fish, a light meal that would keep them warm and was easy to digest. Ricky was still worried that Nini might puke or get food poisoning, so he took the extra caution to prepare it for her. Nini was especially grateful, she herself was not ready to take the risk with fried or raw foods yet. Ricky told her about Mr Roberts’ lousy instructions, and she almost choked on her food laughing at her father. He would ask the older guy how much of whatever ingredient to put in and he’d get the reply, “As much as you want to.” Emma had laughed, telling her father-in-law that that was not the way to give instructions. The poor boy got scolded for adding too much water to the porridge at first, which they took out five minutes after it started cooking. “Yea, my dad is just really bad at giving instructions. I keep telling him that he has no right to scold us if things don’t go his way, but he gets mad anyway.”

The conversation flowed to their comfort foods, Nini’s was anything her dad would cook them and Ricky’s was this amazing pork broth that his grandma used to serve with rice, it was the most heavenly thing he’d had since he existed. Nini revealed that she hated porridge on normal days, she insisted that it was _sick people food_ , to which Ricky pointed out that she wasn’t sick now. “But, this is different. One, you made it for me. And two, I’m just scared that I’ll puke again, even though it’s been three days.” He laid a hand on top of hers, assuring her that she was getting better and probably would not vomit until the next time she got drunk or got a bug or got food poisoning. 

As they continued to talk, Ricky suddenly remembered something. “You know they all thought for two seconds that maybe you were pregnant.” Nini turned to her boyfriend, shocked at what she was finding out only now. He just shrugged and popped a slice of orange into his mouth, his face scrunched up at the sour taste. Nini didn’t even laugh at how weird his face looked, clearly overwhelmed with the information that was just released to her. “How come no one told me?” She asked curiously, and Ricky could hear the sadness in her voice. He wrapped her up in his arms, dropping the orange peel into a plastic bag, “Because I knew you weren’t. We were always safe when we did it and we’ve had this conversation before, remember?” It was one of the days they were sitting at the docks, Nini’s legs hanging over Ricky’s as they shared their heartfelt thoughts about children. The curly-haired boy was talking about his cousin who got his girlfriend pregnant and how he couldn’t imagine the guy becoming a dad already. Nini’s mood turned solemn and he tucked her hair behind her ear affectionately, “Why the sad face, Nins?” She cupped his cheek with her hand, “If it were up to me, I’d do anything I can to make sure that my child would be born into as stable a family as possible. It’s just so sad if the baby has to go through feelings of rejection and feeling unwanted, even if it’s for that short period. And, it’s just better for when they grow up to be able to provide a stable family life. I mean, I don’t know what will happen in my future marriage or anything, but as much as possible, I think I owe it to my child to give them the love I experienced in my family.” Ricky gave her a chaste kiss on her lips, “I promise we’ll be careful, but we also got to be ready to accept anything that comes our way.” Nini nodded in agreement, if it were up to her, she’d be as careful as she could be. 

“I remember,” Nini was touched that Ricky took note of what she had said and took care to make sure that they were being safe. “What did my parents and Nate say about me being pregnant though?” He thought back to when Mr Roberts had first brought it up to him when he was talking with him in the living room. “Your dad told me to take responsibility for what I’d done, like out of the blue. I’d thought I was the one who gave you food that turned bad or something, but turns out he was referring to a hypothetical pregnancy. Your mom and brother asked if we’d had unprotected sex, and if you were pregnant. Of course, the answer was no. Nate made me promise to take responsibility and marry you immediately if anything happened though, which I obviously agreed to. I would never leave you to handle a child alone,” He kissed her temple and she smiled brightly at him. 

When they’d finished the food, Ricky was lying down on the mat, his head in Nini’s lap as her fingers combed through his hair. “Am I going to get the dance like I was promised?” Ricky laughed at her question, sitting upright and looking her in the eyes, “Of course, if you want to.” The girl responded by rising to her feet, a hand offered to him to help pull him up. She kicked off her flip-flops and was ready to step onto the grass with her bare feet when Ricky held her hand, telling her not to. “Step on my feet,” He told her, holding her close to him with a hand around her waist. She laughed and cringed, “This is exactly what people do in romance movies, we’re supposed to make fun of these things, not partake in them. Besides, I’m really heavy.”

“Come on, Nina, just this once,” Ricky insisted, but she shook her head, running out of his grasp onto the grass. He laughed at her and removed his own slippers, following her, catching her back in his embrace, spinning her in circles but not to the point they’d be dizzy — he was still worried she might puke if he wasn’t careful. Nini placed her arms around his neck and his hands were firmly gripping her waist. Ricky stared into her eyes, his face close to hers and she stared right back at his, a glint in her eyes as she mirrored his smile. “You look really handsome,” Nini let slip, her face turning red when she realised she’d spoken out loud. Ricky shifted his face closer to hers, “What did you say?” She frowned cutely, refusing to repeat herself, “You heard me.”

The couple swayed from side to side in silence as the wind blew against their bodies; it was quiet but it wasn’t awkward. “I could do this all night,” Once again, a slip of the tongue from Nini, she buried her face into his shoulder this time unable to look him in the eyes. “Well, I can’t, I’ve got to go home and rest before duty tomorrow,” He teased her, then leaned down to whisper, “If it were up to me, I’d stay here with you all night too.” She got onto her tippy toes and pulled him down, meeting his lips, which moved against hers hungrily. Nini played with his curls, tickling the back of his neck with her fingers as Ricky’s hand wandered from his grip at her waist to the cheek of her bum, squeezing her ever so slightly. They parted when they finally had to breathe for some oxygen, foreheads still touching as they exchanged breaths, hands still caressing the other. 

They were interrupted by Nini’s ringtone, incessant pings from a series of texts that someone sent to her phone. Ricky patted her slightly, telling her to go check what was going on and she reluctantly pulled away from his touch. She didn’t have to worry because he followed her to the mat, hand intertwined with hers. 

“No way…” Sarah had sent her a few links to some news articles and a message saying that Nic had gotten wiped out during one of his competitions and he’d gotten a huge gash from the reef. He’d been rushed to the hospital to get stitches immediately, but he was mostly fine, in quite a bit of pain. It was pretty bad, so bad that he had to take at least a month off the season. Sarah had updated that he’d be home in a few days' time, for at least three weeks so that the wound could close and heal before he got back into the salt water. Ricky hugged her from behind, his cheek pressed against hers to comfort her, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. He took her phone from her, searching for Nic’s contact in the messaging app and opened up the camera to take a picture of them. He wrote a short _get well soon_ caption and sent it over, then told Nini that her brother was alright, and his career would be fine. 

Regardless of what would happen, he was just grateful that he was there to hold her, no matter what.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Christmas was always a time for family to the Roberts. When Nate, Nic and Nini were growing up, they met up with the larger Roberts’ family for dinner and presents. However, when Nic had started to train to surf professionally, the family spared more and more time for him to train during the winter season. Sooner or later, he’d hit WSL level and was taking part in competitions all through winter. The magic of Christmas dwindled for the Roberts family and Nini was particularly jaded when it came to the end of the year. She secretly hated that Nic didn’t spend Christmas with them; she knew he couldn’t but it didn’t mean she was okay with it. Their parents changed the way they celebrated Christmas ever since they didn’t join the other Roberts for dinner — they did gag Christmas gifts in addition to secret santa and the most intense game night that Kauai had seen. Christmas changed again when Nic started his business, he had to work on the holiday; it was only most profitable to do so, especially since he was just starting out. The tourist crowds were huge, and sales sky-rocketed as people scrambled to get gifts and souvenirs. The way they celebrated changed again, managing gift exchanges over Christmas supper and dessert, jamming in the living room until they could no longer stay up. Nini resented that their family time was taken away when everyone had grown up and gotten busy, she wanted family Christmas dinners and games night at least. 

This year was a little different, Nic was back in Kauai because of his injury and Nic and Emma could hand off their business to their trusted manager and employees to handle the holiday demand. They were finally able to spend the entire day together as a family, celebrating Christmas as they usually would. This year would be even more special, they planned to go for a morning surf at the North Shore then spend the rest of the morning at the beach, playing frisbee, volleyball or what not. They’d have lunch and head home for an afternoon nap then wake up to prepare dinner. They’d do their gag gift exchange, have dinner, and then the real gift exchange. Afterward, it would be games and endless fun till their parents got tired, the siblings and their significant others had planned to stay up to catch up till about 3am, and then they’d go sleep to be ready for work the next day. Nini had never felt this excited about Christmas since she was barely ten. 

The only problem was Ricky. Nini was absolutely thrilled to spend their first Christmas together in the old Roberts way, for the first time in a long time. However, the lifeguard was scheduled for duty at Poipu beach which he’d agreed to when he had made arrangements earlier that month to get a day off to take care of Nini when she was sick. It had slipped his mind and they were happily planning that he could join the Roberts, until he checked the schedule that week to find out that he was not free. Ricky saw Nini’s smile falter when he broke the news to her; he felt even more apologetic that he wasn’t able to join them, especially since he knew the history of her being let down by her brothers during this holiday. Now, he was one of those who’d let her down and he was utterly disappointed in himself. “Don’t be sorry, Ricky, it’s not your fault,” She had comforted him, a hand gripping his wrist. He shook his head, “I should have thought about this when I’d negotiated for a day off, I should have been more-” “You did what you thought was right at that time, didn’t you?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer. “The day that you came to take care of me when I was sick helped me get better, you know that,” He nodded, though he was still unconvinced that she was disappointed about the situation. 

“Be honest with me, you’re disappointed, aren’t you, Nins?” Ricky looked her in the eyes and could see her eyes wide with sadness. She leaned her body into his, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist, “Christmas just never goes the way I want it to.” He tightened his grip around her small figure, “I’m really sorry, babe. But I’ll join you guys as soon as my shift ends, and I promise to stay all the way.” Nini just nodded, thinking to herself that it was yet another disappointing Christmas. 

Christmas rolled around a week later and this year really felt different from other years. Her brothers loved her all of the time but they rarely showered her with affection to this extent. They brought her cake in bed and made their family watch the sunrise together. Nate brewed her a chai latte on her request and Nic offered a shoulder massage as she waited for said chai latte. On the way to the North Shore, the usual fight for the aux cable was replaced with offering Nini the aux cable to let her play non-Christmas songs on Christmas day. Nate had stopped at Poipu, Nini assuming that it was so he could check on the shop and his manager but the older Roberts had told her to get off to say hi to Ricky. She ran to the lifeguard tower, a bunch of grapes in her hand for him to snack on later and he welcomed her with open arms, “Merry Christmas, Nina. You’re here bright and early.” Nini captured his lips in a kiss, “Merry Christmas to you too. I’m glad Nate let me come over to see you.” His smile mirrored her as the corners of her lips reached her cheeks, “Have fun surfing on the North Shore, babe. I’ll see you later, okay?” Ricky nudged her lightly, suggesting it was time to go. He gave her one last kiss before she slipped out of his arms. He waved goodbye as she ran back to the car.

The Roberts being the Roberts had a scoring system when it came to surfing. The children would assess their parents and vice versa; this time, Nic had a permanent seat in the judging panel, doubling up as a commentator and video-recorder. Nate and Nini went head-to-head trying to outdo one another’s scores despite knowing that the judging system was flawed — they judged based on how touched they were by the skills displayed. The morning was filled with fun and laughter, especially at Nini who had failed to win the hearts of the judges, constantly earning low scores despite her rather impressive technique. 

On the way back home, Nate had volunteered to drive them and popped by Poipu once again, asking that Nini dropped off some coconut water for Ricky. She gladly obliged, even more thrilled that his lunch break had just begun. “Ricky,” She wrapped her arms around his neck, surprising him from behind as he was chewing the food in his mouth. “Hey, Nina. you’ve been stopping by quite a few times today, aye?” He was delighted to see her, the thought of working on a public holiday made less heavy because she was around him. “I love you,” He kissed her hand before stuffing a spoon of food into his mouth. Nini kissed his cheek lightly, “I love you too.” She told him about how she’d lost at surfing only because they couldn’t appreciate his amazing skills and they laughed about that together until Nini’s phone pinged a message from Nate, telling her to go back to the car so that they could all head home to nap. “Go home and rest, Nins. You have a long day ahead,” Ricky patted her lower back, nudging her toward the exit of the cafe. Nini gave him a final hug and kiss, “I can’t wait to see you again later.” 

Nini had dozed off in the car, whining when they woke her up to get into the house. She continued her nap on the couch because unlike everyone else, she hated touching her bed if she hadn’t showered. Her alarm blared through the house after two hours, which she snoozed several times before waking up to take that long overdue shower. Nini stood in front of her closet for a long time, wearing one of Ricky’s old shirts while she decided what to wear for later on and she finally decided on the ugly red shirt with an upside down snowman that her mom gifted her a few years back. As she helped her dad with dinner in the kitchen, the doorbell suddenly rang; she’d never flown to the door so quickly before. Much to her dismay, it was just Nate who was carrying a ton of stuff and wasn’t able to turn the door knob on his own. It was time to open their gag gifts but Ricky still hadn’t arrived and Nini couldn’t help but feel disappointed again. She checked her phone, which was still void of messages from her boyfriend. 

Nate had insisted that they start dinner first and did the gifts later, so the family dug into the meal, releasing moans of satisfaction at how great Mr Roberts’ cooking was. The oldest Roberts son stepped out to take a call and came back in with Nini’s favourite lifeguard. Ricky greeted Mr and Mrs Roberts with handshakes, wishing them Merry Christmas, fistbumped Nic and gave Emma a side hug before sitting next to his girlfriend. He gave her a cheek and apology, “Sorry, I’m late, Noah’s engine died so I waited with him till the tow truck came.” She smiled at him, unable to stay mad or sad because of his compassion. Nini served some food onto his plate, Mrs Roberts encouraging him to dig in after a long day at work. The girl rested her left hand on his thigh as much as it was humanly possible throughout the dinner, satisfied that he was finally there with her. Nate gave her a knowing look, which she simply pouted as if to say: But _I didn’t manage to spend the rest of my day with him._

Gag gift exchange was up. Mr Roberts was Ricky’s gag santa and gave him a can of fake snow, on it was a post-it saying, “I hope this is enough to dash through”, in reference to Jingle Bells. In turn, Ricky was Nini’s gag santa; he gave her some ridiculous toothpaste cap that he’d found online — if you attached the cat head cap onto your toothpaste, it’d look like the cat was puking the toothpaste out. She had shoved him, the joke hitting a little close to home with the whole stomach flu incident a few weeks ago. Nini had given Emma a toilet roll with the writing, “Here’s something that you actually can use”; the older blonde rolled her eyes good-naturedly in response. 

It was then time for the real secret santa. This time, Nate was Nini’s secret santa and he’d bought her a new amplifier for her gigs. She’d tackled him and given him a hug; she had been loathing that it was too expensive an investment but she never thought that he would have bought it for her. Nini was her mom’s santa, and the older Roberts lady had to unwrap several layers of newspaper to get to the gift, a crochet top that her daughter had made. She told her mom that they had matching tops, promising each other that they could wear a matchy look when they went out on a mother-daughter date. Emma was Ricky’s secret santa, she gifted him a ton of sunscreen as well as a hammock she weaved; he’d coveted one in his own apartment ever since he saw Nini’s but was never willing to invest in one. Ricky was Nini’s secret santa; he handed her an envelope, which she took and asked, “That’s it?” He sighed and told her to just open it. She was pleasantly surprised when it was actually a stack of handwritten letters that he had taken the time to compile. All of her family, sister-in-law and Sarah had written her a card each, and there were cards from the lifeguards at Poipu, some of her high school friends and even Gina and Kourtney. Ricky’s letter was all the way at the bottom of the stack but as she pawed through the stack, a message on the back of Ricky’s card caught her eye. He wrote a p.s, “I hope this Christmas was the most special for you, even if I couldn’t spend all of it with you”. She wrapped her arms around his solid frame, touched at his effort into giving her a gift from the bottom of his heart. It was more than she could ask for, even more than spending their entire Christmas together. 

The night deepened with an intense round of Just Dance, Mr Roberts taking the victory again and again, until he got too worn out. The younger ones remained in the living room when the older folks had retired to their room, talking and laughing about that morning’s friendly surfing competition and funny affairs that happened during games night. It was surprising when it was barely midnight and Emma had already fallen asleep on Nate’s shoulder, the couple heading to bed before work the next day. Nic had to send Sarah home so they’d left shortly after that too. It was just Ricky and Nini in the living room, she was straddling him as he leaned back on the comfortable sofa. 

“Thank you for the thoughtful gift, babe. I’ve never received anything that amazing before.” She leaned into his body. Nini was utterly impressed that Ricky remembered that she loved handwritten letters and yearned for her brothers and parents to write to her; she’d never told them any of this, it never felt right to request something like that. “Tell me about your day, Nins. Did you enjoy this year’s Christmas?” She told him about how she was damn salty about the surfing competition and how Nic had opened up to them about his accident. She mentioned that it was weird that her brothers were exceptionally nice to her that day, with the exception of the surfing competition. She found it weirder that her boyfriend seemed to be wearing a guilty expression. Ricky later admitted that he had told her brothers that she was disappointed that they prioritised work over family during the Christmas season, and he had actually requested that they did a little _somethin’ somethin’_ to make this Christmas a little extra special for her — he had no idea what they were going to do though. The fact that they chose to change the small small things instead of a single grand gesture really awed him. 

“Thank you for making this Christmas so memorable for me, Ricky. I really can’t thank you enough.” She kissed him and he responded willingly, gripping her waist tightly to pull her closer to him. “There is one more thing though,” Ricky took a box out of his bag and handed it to her; It was a sustain pedal to replace her atrociously squeaky one. She ran into her room to take her gift for him as well, she had crocheted a cute doll for him to hang in his car as well as a neck and shoulder massager machine. Their gifts were not the most romantic in nature but they were most thoughtful of the other’s needs, rather than the need to impress. They’d always been a practical couple and this was one of the times that it showed.

They’d stay up till half past one when Nini checked her phone and was alarmed by the time, even without the familiar blaring. “Ricky, it’s really late, you got to sleep for work tomorrow.” He didn’t want to leave but she was right. “I wish I could stay here with you all night,” Ricky kissed his girlfriend, cupping her tiny face with his big hands. “Just home safe okay, don’t fall asleep behind the wheel please,” Nini cautioned him, sensing that he was really tired at the moment. 

“I can’t afford to lose you,” She let out in a whisper. 

He leaned in for one last kiss, lifting her to wrap her legs around his waist and pressed her back against the couch, “I promise you won’t.”

That night, Ricky arrived back at his apartment in one-piece, as Nini would say. He took a selfie with the car and sent it to her with a message that said

**_Ricky_ **

_You didn’t lose me, baby ♡_

Nini replied with a message of her, head on her pillow and hair splayed out. 

**_Nina_ **

_See you tomorrow, goober ♡_

**_Ricky_ **

_Love you, see you tomorrow!_

They slept soundly that night, the jolly of Christmas wearing off as they dreamt of spending the whole of their next Christmas

  
  
  


* * *

New Year’s was probably the weirdest thing ever, for the Roberts family and for Ricky. The Nini they knew, who hated parties and alcohol, who would rather sit at home or at the beach to read, play her instruments or have heart-to-heart talks, was suggesting that it would be a good idea to attend EJ Caswell’s New Year’s party. The family was out bowling, Ricky had his arm around Nini's shoulder when she peeked up at him, telling him about her idea, “I heard there’s gonna be fireworks.” Ricky’s eyes widened when he heard the words, “Let’s go to EJ’s party,”; between them, it was most likely that Ricky would be the one to suggest going to a party — except that he wouldn’t because he knew that Nini didn’t like parties and would never want to deliberately put her in an uncomfortable situation. Nic had overheard their conversation, it was not like they were talking very softly and he could not withhold his surprise, “Nini Roberts just initiated going to a party. The world is ending, Nate, or our sister has lost her mind.” Nini rolled her eyes at them; they were being annoying, yet she was unable to refute him. They weren’t wrong, they had spent years and years convincing her to tag along with them, promising they would take care of her. Now, she was the one jumping into the lions’ den on her own accord.

“Anything you want, Nins. I’ll just be glad to spend time with you,” Ricky kissed her cheek and she leaned into his side a little closer. “Finally, Nins, it’s time for you to get wasted and see what you’ve been missing,” Nic teased her, Sarah shoving his head telling her to be careful and not listen to Nic. “Are you guys coming as well?” The curly-haired boy extended the invitation to the rest of them, feeling his girlfriend freeze in his arms. It was then that he knew she wanted it to be just the two of them and buried his face in her hair, whispering an apology for being dumb. Nini just squeezed his hand to assure him it was okay. Fortunately, the rest of them were busy, Nate and Emma were going to open Seas the Day till late that day and Nic and Sarah were gonna meet some of his high school pals to catch up. Ricky could feel the girl in his arms relax a little as she met his eyes with a smile on her face. She couldn’t wait to kiss him when the clock struck twelve.

Nini picked her outfit on her own again, the girl was finding her own style and also knew what Ricky liked to see on her; Nate was a little sad that his baby sister was growing up, she was no longer his barbie doll that he could dress up every day. She threw on a blue eyelet ruffle top and blue ruffled denim shorts, filled in her eyebrows, curled her lashes, put on smudge-proof lipstick and grabbed her phone before leaving the empty house — everyone was out that night, her parents over at a business partner’s new year's function, her siblings doing their own things. Ricky was leaning on his car, waiting for her when she popped her head out to check if he had arrived. Nini quickly locked the door and ran to him, the winter breeze blowing in her hair. He held her by the waist as she leaned in to lock her lips with his, flipping them over so he could pin her body against the car door and press his body as close to hers as possible. Ricky moved down from her lips to kiss her neck and Nini let out a giggle, “Ricky, we got a ninety minute drive to the North Shore. We really should get going.” He looked her in the eyes with an intense gaze, staring into her dark brown orbs and his lips found hers once again. Nini put her arms around his neck and pulled him impossibly closer to her, forgetting the duration of the drive to the party. When they pulled away to finally breathe, Ricky caressed her soft skin at her exposed midriff, and his phone exploded with the chorus of _Barbie Girl_ by Aqua, the ringtone the guy had set for EJ who he teased for being like the Ken of Kauai. Nini held in her laugh as Ricky picked up the phone, “Seriously, bimbo?”

“Bro, the rest of the dudes already had pre-drinks, they’re waiting for you to do shots. Are you not going to be here soon?” The curly-haired lifeguard smirked, they really went all like they promised to. “Listen, Ken doll, I’ve told you guys that I won’t be drinking tonight. I got to send my girlfriend home later.” EJ groaned in response, relaying this information to the rest of the lifeguard gang to be reciprocated with a chorus of boos and Noah’s slurred shout saying that Ricky was _whipped_. Nini kissed Ricky’s bicep in gratitude for prioritising her safety, figuring that she would move along his arm to his neck. He unconsciously tilted his neck so she could get more access and intertwined his free hand with one of hers. “We’ll be on the way soon, bye,” Ricky hastily hung up the call, slipped the phone into his back pocket and pushed Nini against the car door again, pressing a kiss to her lips, “You cheeky bunny. Why are you such a tease, hmm?” She murmured in response, breath hot against his lips, “Let’s not go to the party anymore.” He laughed and kissed her once more before putting some distance between them, “Hey, don’t forget you’re the one who suggested that we went to this party, Nina.” She pouted and leaned in to kiss him again, “But what if I really don’t want to go now.” Ricky didn’t buy into her cute act, her attempt to kiss him failing as he maintained the space between them. “Come on, let’s go, else I’ll get my ass whacked by Noah and Red next duty.” He walked over to the driver’s seat and got in, Nini doing likewise on the passenger’s side.

It was rather late when the couple finally got to the beach where the party was held. Nini had walked ahead of him, because he had left his phone in the car. The girl’s hair blew in the wind as she watched the crowd and the amber flames of the bonfire. She felt a warm hand on her bare skin and smelt a familiar scent, turning around to be met with Ricky’s smile. “You know you look really really beautiful tonight?” She did a twirl for him and showed off her bare back, taunting him a little, “I wore this specially for you.” Her heart leapt in satisfaction as a smirk grew on her boyfriend’s face. “You really make me wanna do things to you,” Ricky said in a low voice as his hand wrapped around her waist to touch her exposed back. Nini leaned into his chest, “Later after the party?” She asked in an equally low voice, sending shivers down his spine. Taking her hand in his, he pulled her to walk a little faster, “Later.”

As soon as they walked in, EJ ambushed them with two red cups with clear liquid and Ricky gave him a questioning look, “What the heck is this?” The taller guy sighed at his friend’s doubt, “It’s just soda, mate. You gotta chill out.” The curly-haired boy was still skeptical and still didn’t accept the cups. EJ gave up trying to trick them into drinking and admitted that it was actually gin and tonic with a lot more gin than tonic. “You’re really such a bimbo, I could smell the damned alcohol, you know?” This time, Nini didn’t hold back her laugh and doubled over at EJ’s deadpanned look. She squeezed Ricky’s hand slightly, “Come on, Ricky, he’s really tipsy already, give him a break.” He rolled his eyes in response and dragged her over to the drinks table to fill one cup with Pepsi and another with sparkling water, handing the cup with the clear liquid to Nini, earning a peck on the cheek in return. They found the lifeguard crew near the speakers dancing their hearts out, or moving; neither looked well-coordinated anyway. Even in the dark, Ricky could see the hardened look on Nini’s face, which suggested that she wasn’t entirely comfortable hanging around four guys that had already lost their inhibitions. He squeezed her hand that was in his and tugged her away from the crowd, closer to the shoreline.

“Just say the word and we’ll go home okay?” His hand wrapped around her waist, palm pressed firmly against her back, caressing her bare skin. Nini nodded in response, wrapping an arm around his neck, “Dance with me?” She held out her hand to him, which he gladly took and the couple began to sway to the beat of the music from the party, it was a little muffled because they were quite a distance away but still audible. “Why’d you want to come to the party? I thought it wasn’t your scene?” Ricky asked curiously after they shared a moment of comfortable silence, soaking in the moment. A blush crept up Nini’s face, which he thankfully didn’t see because it was dark, “To be honest, it was the only way to spend New Year’s with you. As much as I love my family, I just wanted the countdown to be just us; then I wouldn’t need to worry about holding back when kissing you at midnight or not being able to stick to you like this the entire time.” Ricky wanted to laugh and tease her but he really did want that time alone with her as well — he hadn’t gotten much time alone with her since the mere half an hour on the night of Christmas. He took this time to admire her beauty, his smile growing as he saw the growing confusion on her pretty face. She finally couldn’t take it, “Babe, why are you looking at me like that?” Ricky cupped her cheek affectionately, “I’m just thinking how lucky I am to be with such a pretty and smart girl like you.” Nini frowned, “Too cheesy, Richard.” He insisted that it wasn’t cheesy because it was true, giving up halfway through his argument to just capture her lips with his. Kissing was much more worth the time and effort.

They settled on the sand next to each other after their long slow dance, the cool winter sea breeze sending chills down Nini’s spine. Ricky saw her shudder at the corner of his eye and took her hands in his to warm them up with his own. She shivered once more before Ricky pulled her in the middle of his legs, pulling her back against his warm chest, wrapping her in a warm embrace so that she wouldn’t freeze and die. Nini tried to straddle her boyfriend so that she could sit in his lap to kiss him. However, that exposed her back to the chilly air, causing goosebumps on Nini’s skin to form. “Just behave and sit down properly, I’ll help you get warm,” Ricky kissed her temple when she reluctantly climbed out of his lap. The couple talked extensively like they did the first day they met at Nic’s party — who, speaking of which, was recovering fine and might have been able to get into the water a little faster than the doctor had speculated. Thankfully, there were no other complications during the surgery recovery process and even the removal of stitches. They were in the middle of debating when Nate and Emma would finally have a child, when a random guy who looked like he was barely eighteen called them over for the fireworks. “You wanna go nearer for the fireworks or you wanna just view them from here?” Nini inquired curiously, when she should have been the one to make the decision since she was the one who came for the fireworks. The random guy told them that EJ had asked them to return to the party for the fireworks and quickly ran back to the crowd. Ricky shrugged at Nini's disappointed look, looked like they had no choice after all.

It had been awhile since Ricky and Nini strayed off on their own. In that time, the initially drunken lifeguard crew had recovered from their high and were now on their nth round of drinks and more drinks, each holding a red cup in their hands. Nini's hand still gripped his to convey her disappointment of being unable to do their New Year’s kiss without distractions. He rubbed his thumb across the back of her palm soothingly, “Hey, we still got _later_ , remember? We can ask the guys to help us take a nice photo too, before we leave.” Nini was reminded of the deal they had made earlier and finally decided that _later_ would be enough for her and nodded at Ricky, assuring him she was fine. “I love you, and I can’t wait for _later_ ,” He back-hugged her and pressed his cheek against hers, the girl leaning into his touch and placing her hands over his.

There was a large countdown as a random dude held a microphone, announcing that there were two minutes left before the new year. Nini and Ricky were still lost in each other’s touch, despite the complaints of the lifeguard crew who shut their crap when she had threatened to never bring food for them ever again; they knew she was too kind to do that but in view of her kindness, they decided to bear with their display of affection. The crowd counted down from ten together as they watched the numbers on the counter change, while Ricky and Nini only had eyes for each other’s lips, faces inching closer and closer to each other.

“Three!” Nini took a step closer to him, aided by a pull toward him by his arm around her waist.

“Two!” Ricky’s tongue darted out of his mouth, licking his lips as he stared at hers. Her tongue mimicked his, watching him closely.

“One!” Their eyes tore away from the other’s lips and made contact, an eager glint mirroring each other’s.

“Happy new year!” Cheers erupted in the crowd, but the noise drowned out when she wrapped her arms around his neck, lips meeting his with equal hunger. Ricky’s hands ran up and down the skin of her back as her fingers tickled the back of his neck when she played with his curls. They moved in sync, as if their makeout against his car door earlier was a rehearsal for this very moment. One of Ricky’s hands began to venture south to her bum, giving Nini a little squeeze and she accidentally let out a sound indicating her pleasure, which Red had heard.

“Oh my gosh guys, get a room.” He cringed at the two, causing them to separate, although Ricky’s hands were still on Nini. She was facing her boyfriend with a pout that said _See, this is what I meant!_ He knew that she was utterly disappointed that they were interrupted. Ricky decided in that moment that their promised _later_ would be _now_ , “Yea, perhaps we will.” They quickly said their goodbyes and New Year wishes and then he led her to the spot where they parked his car. Ricky was about to get in to the driver's seat when Nini pulled him away from the car door to sit with her on the hood, “If anything, I came for the fireworks too. But, we haven't seen them yet.” Ricky tucked her hair behind her ear then interlaced her fingers with his, “Let’s see them before we go.” The couple looked to the night sky, plastered with stars, with fireworks exploding in beautiful patterns. Ricky might have watched his girlfriend more than he did the fireworks, as she watched the sky with wide-eyed wonder and a smile on her face, her hair blowing in the sea breeze like a mermaid princess. Nini was the most beautiful view that night, nothing would convince him otherwise.

The drive back home was filled with teasing each other — Nini telling the boy that the view was beautiful and Ricky telling the girl that she was _the view_ ; Nini teasing the boy for being cheesy and disgusting and Ricky defending himself, teasing with even more cheesy lines. It was a long drive but it felt like they’d reached Ricky’s apartment complex in no time. He held the door open for Nini and pinned her against the car door as soon as she stepped out, attacking her lips with his own, kissing her senselessly. She giggled at his eagerness but to be fair, he’d been waiting since she stalled to watch the fireworks.

“You want to?” He asked her, wanting a confirmation in that moment, just to be sure she still wanted this. Nini nodded eagerly, “Our _later_ is _now_ . So take me _now_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> been taking awhile to write the last part so i decided to just upload the winter season before moving into the closing of this fic (-:
> 
> just want to clarify that nini is NOT pregnant; while i look up to teen parents and single parents (not judging yall at all), i also think that children deserve to grow up in stable and safe environments. i brought this out because i wanted to highlight that it is really important to be safe if you're sexually active. but safe, yet prepared!
> 
> stay tuned for the closing chapter, it will be out by the end of the week!


	7. we've been together hand in hand through it all

The cold of winter crept into a lovely cool spring, the surging waves calming down and the rain drying up. It was the Waimea Town Celebration in March and of course, as honorary Waimea residents, the Roberts family was involved in the celebrations. There was a flea market sale going on for a week — Nate and Emma thought it would be good if Nini sold their handcrafted souvenirs at the flea. She gladly accepted the offer to curate a new collection for the celebration, making an exclusive edition for the flea sales. 

The girl was sitting behind the counter, busy stringing some flowers together to make flower crowns, working in an organised flow as she alternated the different colours, creating a pattern. Nini felt her phone vibrate on the counter as a call came in, her screen lighting up to a photo of Ricky in his lifeguard uniform. _Why was he calling at this hour, he’s supposed to be on duty._ “Hello?” She balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to work the flower crown in hand, her voice coming out a little strained because of the weird position she was in. “Hey Nini, Ricky’s not feeling too good, he got heat exhaustion and fainted. We just thought to call you and let you know-” She immediately dropped the plants and string in her hands, and ran over to the cafe to ask one of the waitress girls to help her watch over her cashier. The girl ran as fast as her legs could take her and sprinted on to the beach to only one destination: the lifeguard tower. All she could think of was how she had nagged at Ricky to drink more water throughout the day and how he would tap her nose in response, never taking her seriously. Nini could only recall the number of times she told him to sleep earlier and hang up on his calls with her, or go home to sleep earlier but he would refuse, telling her all he wanted was to spend time with her. The strap of her top had fallen down her shoulder as she made her way to the beach, but she couldn’t care less. She needed to get to Ricky.

As she approached the tower, she could hear EJ and Noah laughing about something; all she knew was her boyfriend fainting wasn’t something to laugh about, the girl huffed and puffed in anger, slamming the door of the tower open. Nini was met with the sight of the two guys holding on to Ricky’s phone, her boyfriend was nowhere in sight. The guys stared at her, mouths hanging ajar, clearly shocked and lost for words. “Well, I did not expect you to come here,” Noah started off, looking at the force of the tiny brunette girl standing in the doorway. She frowned at his statement, asking, “Where’s Ricky? Is he okay? Did Red send him to the hospital?” EJ stared at her with a stoic expression, casually spinning her boyfriend’s phone between his thumb and middle finger, “Yea, he’s not here right now. But, he’s fine. You, dear girl, should go back to your cafe to do your job. What is Nate going to say when he finds out that you ran out during your shift?” Nini’s eyes flickered between Noah and EJ, genuinely confused at their calm demeanor; their colleague had just passed out, for goodness sake, and no one was worrying about him at all. “We’re lifeguards, Nini. We’ve seen tons of these types of things,” Noah seems to reach her mind, answering her unasked question.

“Nins, what are you doing here?” The girl’s head whipped around to find Red at the bottom of the stairs, looking right back at her. “Where’s Ricky right now? Why are you here? Didn’t you send him to the hospital?” Red’s eyes widened in confusion, looking at EJ for some clarity in this situation. EJ shrugged, “For some reason, she thinks you took her boyfriend to the hospital.” Nini turned her attention back to EJ, “But, you said, he-” The Ken doll, as Ricky liked to call him, shook his head, cutting her off, “Nu-uh, you’re the one who thought so. I didn’t confirm that thought, okay?” She glared at him, continually wondering where Ricky was. “He’s on his way right now, don’t worry, Nini.” Red patted her shoulder and walked past her into the tower. At this point, Nini was getting anxious. Where the heck was Ricky and how could they have let him on his own, not even giving him his phone to bring along? She was spiralling in her thoughts, the guys could tell because she had stopped moving and talking; she was barely even breathing at that point, fists balled up, clenched so tightly, her knuckles turned white. They decided to leave her alone with her thoughts, keeping silent as they kept an eye on her. 

Meanwhile, Ricky was all on his own. He had a large carton of water hoisted up on his shoulder, letting out little grunts as he carried it back to the lifeguard tower. The very fact was that Ricky was absolutely fine, he was a little tired from carrying the weight on his own, but he was fine. No heat exhaustion, no fainting, no visit to the hospital. Ricky was fine. As he returned to the lifeguard tower, he saw a familiar back standing in the doorway. Her shoulders were tense and rigid, in stark contrast to her hair which flowed softly and freely in the ocean breeze. Ricky put the water carton down on the sand, figuring that he could get help bringing it into the tower later. Surprising his girl, who was here to surprise him, would be the perfect payback. “Hey, Nina, what are you doing here?” Nini squeaked, flinching at the arm that wrapped around her waist and the voice in her ear. She nearly pulled away but was met with the familiarity of his scent, finally recognising his voice and touch and immediately relaxed in his embrace. “What are you doing here? EJ and Noah said you fainted out of heat exhaustion?” Nini recalled the reason why she was even on the beach, cupping his face in her hands. She leaned into his chest, tucking her head under his chin, and whispered, “I was so worried that something really happened to you.” Ricky shot EJ and Noah a look, asking them what the heck was going on and they merely shrugged in response. Despite his confusion, he managed to return his focus on the girl in his arms, he kindly readjusted her spaghetti strap for her then stroked her hair with one hand, “Hey, don’t worry, I’m okay and I’m not going anywhere.” Ricky felt his shirt grow wet and immediately knew that she was crying. He tried to pull away from the hug so that they could go outside to talk but she only clung tighter to him. “Babe, come on, let’s go outside to talk, okay?” Ricky whispered to her, stroking small circles on her lower back to soothe her. 

He wiped the tears off her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes, “Were you really scared?” Nini just nodded, more tears rolling down her cheeks. Her eyes were so sad, Ricky felt apologetic that his friends had pranked her, causing her unnecessary distress and worry. He leaned down to kiss her fully on the lips, an attempt to show her that he was really fine and calm her down. She reciprocated, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt to pull him closer to her. It was Nini who pulled away first, mumbling a “You’re on duty right now, we shouldn’t be doing this.” His heart soared, realising the care she had for him even though she was distressed and sad. “I love you, okay?” He held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, thumb stroking the back of her palm lovingly. She squeezed his hand lightly, “I love you too.” A few more tears escaped her eyes and she wiped them away as quickly as they’d come out. Ricky’s thumbs ghosted over her tear-stained cheeks, “Hey, I was supposed to help you with that.” He playfully pinched her cheek, earning a giggle and smile on her face. “There’s your pretty smile.” Nini’s smile grew as she swung their interlocked hands back and forth. The couple loitered at the beach for a few more minutes before Ricky walked her back to the cafe. She really had to get back to work, now that the emergency she’d left for was just a scam. “I’ll see you after work?” She pulled away from their goodbye kiss, a hand on his chest. He nodded and pulled her chin for another kiss, “Come over and we’ll drive back to mine?” Nini whispered an _okay_ , pushing him away from her slightly, so that he would go back to his job. Rickly jogged back to the beach, wishing that the day would quickly end already.

Nini texted Ricky to say that she would meet him in the parking lot, but he said he needed to help with the closing that evening and she should wait for him in the tower. She wasn’t in the mood to see EJ or Noah, or anyone who thought that joking about Ricky’s health was funny but she also wasn’t in the mood to stand in the parking lot, waiting indefinitely; so, she headed to the beach, sunglasses on to hide the slight puffiness from the tears earlier. Ricky was talking with EJ and Noah when Nini made her way to the lifeguard tower. He handed the hose to EJ and went up to greet her with a kiss, stroking her stomach lightly, “How’s my Nina feeling?” Ricky wrapped her in a tight hug and she squealed lightly as her legs lifted off the ground. There was a playful glint in his eyes and Nini smirked, she loved seeing him so happy. “Get over here, Bowen. Stop sticking to your girlfriend and do your work, please.” EJ stood with the hose in his hand, gesturing for Ricky to take it back. The curly-haired boy slung his arm around Nini’s shoulder and shook his head no. “If you can play a prank on my girlfriend, then you can wash the jetski on your own, Caswell. I don’t know how you found it in you to play a prank on her, you stressed my baby.” EJ’s jaw dropped to the sea bed, “Wait, baby as in you’re pregnant, Nins?” She just gave him a blank stare, neither acknowledging nor refuting the question. Noah took it as a yes, slapping EJ’s chest, “Dude, this is why I said that pranking Nini was a bad idea-” The guys continued to bicker, pushing the blame back and forth, unwilling to take the blame for stressing the _baby_. The couple took this opportunity to get away from the beach, hand in hand as they walked to the parking lot. 

“Really, baby?” Nini asked as Ricky pulled out of the parking lot, heading on to the main road back to his apartment, “That’s not something that you should joke about, Ricky.” He placed his hand on her thigh, rubbing her skin softly, “I didn’t joke about you being pregnant, Nina. You were distressed by their prank, weren’t you?” Nini knew what was coming next, “And, I’m your baby, so what’s wrong with telling them that they stressed your baby, right?” She let out a sigh, “But, you didn’t correct them either, when they misunderstood that we were having a baby.” Ricky didn’t need to look at her to know but he interlaced his hand with her to keep her from picking her skin, “I was just giving them a taste of their own medicine, Nina. You gotta admit that Noah’s mouth opened so big that a fly would have flown down his throat,” He laughed a little, recalling the epic sight. Nini sighed again, her gaze turning to the view outside the window. Ricky knew then that she was angry and stroked the back of her palm with his thumb, “Sorry, Nins. I know how you feel about children, and I shouldn’t have let them think that way.” She continued to look out of the window, still upset at Ricky. He pulled up on the road shoulder of the highway, finally catching her attention, “What are you doing, Ricky?” He looked her in the eyes, a hand holding the back of her seat, “Nina, please. I’m really sorry that I was driven by revenge and made a bad joke that shouldn’t have been conceived in my mind. Please don’t be angry anymore.” Nini sighed once again, and told him to let them know that it wasn’t real; she crossed her arms and looked out of the window again. “Can you please take me home instead?” Ricky didn’t know if she really had forgiven him but he drove back onto the highway, making their way to his apartment. A smile grew on his face when she’d played the playlist he had created for them, finally knowing that she wasn’t angry at him anymore. 

Ricky kept his arm around Nini as they walked from the car to his apartment, hoping that their proximity would help her feel better about today’s events. She shimmied out of his embrace to go to the bathroom, grabbing one of his shirts to change into, while he went over to the microwave to make some popcorn. “Ricky,” a small voice came from the bathroom. He dashed over to his girlfriend, the popcorn long forgotten. “Could you help me grab my tampon bag?” She avoided his eyes as she sat on the toilet bowl, a little embarrassed about the situation. Ricky smiled, handing her the bag and waited patiently till she was done. Nini hadn’t expected that he would have stayed outside the bathroom, and jumped a little when she was greeted by his strong figure when she meeky emerged. “Don’t be embarrassed, Nins. It’s natural that your period happens,” She leaned into his chest, unable to meet his face and tried to crack a joke, “At least now I know why I was feeling pissy the entire day. Sorry that I took it out on you.” He just pulled her into a warm hug, “You know I’m here for it all right? The pissy and the happy,” Nini scoffed, and hit his chest lightly, “I hate you.” He stalked off to the kitchen, just as the microwave beeped, “No, you don’t.” 

As they conformed to the shape of the couch and Nini’s legs were resting on top of Ricky’s, she tried shooting some popcorn into his mouth, failing miserably — the popped corns fell into his lap. “Were you really that worried earlier this afternoon?” She nodded, “Actually I was half-scared and half-angry. Scared that you weren’t okay; you don’t have family here, babe, isn’t it scary to be sick when no one is around to care for you?” Ricky pulled her close to him, “I have you, Nins.” She just shook her head, her gaze dropping to the bowl of popcorn on her lap, “It’s different. I’m not enough in these types of situations.” Ricky tried to lift her chin and make her look him in the eyes but she nudged her chin away. “Now for the part that I was angry. Will you please take care of yourself? Drink enough water, sleep a little earlier, take breaks and ice baths,” Nini held his hands in hers, pleading with him. He gave her a peck on the cheek, “I’ll do it for you.” The girl shook her head again, “Don’t do it for me, do it for you, Ricky, and your family.” 

“Why are you talking as if you’re going to break up with me, Nina?” He pulled his hands out of her grasp, bridging a hand to her chin, pulling her to look him in the eyes. “I’m not, but I’m just being realistic. We’re still young, who knows what might happen, what kind of people will we meet along the way? What if we don’t work out and you end up finding someone else? So, take care of yourself for you, not for me or any other girl. Your future wife deserves that much.” Her period hormones were really getting to her; it was completely out of character for the Roberts girl, she was usually more rough on the edges than sentimental. “Nina, I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road either. But, right now, in this moment, you’re it for me. If it doesn’t work out along the way, if we don’t end up together in the end, it doesn’t matter if we did our best in the time we _were_ together. I’ve learnt so much from you and I wanna continue enjoying what we have until it’s no longer ours,” Ricky caressed her head and combed his fingers through her hair, “You’re enough for me now, don’t let anyone or your hormones tell you otherwise.” He tapped her nose lightly, his teasing earned a smile from her. Nini squealed as he pulled her into his lap, melting as his lips moved against hers. They pulled away when they were out of breath, and she laughed against his lips as she teased him, “You know you’re not getting any tonight, right?” Ricky just smirked, pulling her down to kiss her once more, “That doesn’t mean I can’t kiss you.”

Nini made her boyfriend sleep early that night, telling him to get the rest he needed and if they were lucky, they had their whole lives to spend with each other. Not wanting her to worry, he obliged, tucking them under the covers snuggly. She took another photo of him sleeping, adding it to her collection, and changed his wallpaper once again. Everything felt normal again after the day’s emotional turmoil. Who knew that Nini would have found her safe space with the town’s new lifeguard? She sure didn’t, but she was glad that she did. It was enough for her, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the last chapter; actually, not really because i've been requested an epilogue and that will be coming soon too! 
> 
> thank you for showing this story love and for all your comments. signing off xx


	8. epilogue

The cold of winter crept into a lovely cool spring, the surging waves calming down and the rain drying up. It was the Waimea Town Celebration in March and of course, as honorary Waimea residents, the Roberts family was involved in the celebrations. There was a flea market sale going on for a week — Nate and Emma thought it would be good if Nini sold their handcrafted souvenirs at the flea. She gladly accepted the offer to curate a new collection for the celebration, making an exclusive edition for the flea sales. 

The girl was sitting behind the counter, busy stringing some flowers together to make flower crowns, working in an organised flow as she alternated the different colours, creating a pattern. Nini felt her phone vibrate on the counter as a call came in, her screen lighting up to a photo of Ricky in his lifeguard uniform.  _ Why was he calling at this hour, he’s supposed to be on duty.  _ “Hello?” She balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to work the flower crown in hand, her voice coming out a little strained because of the weird position she was in. “Hey Nini, Ricky’s not feeling too good, he got heat exhaustion and fainted. We just thought to call you and let you know-” She immediately dropped the plants and string in her hands, and ran over to the cafe to ask one of the waitress girls to help her watch over her cashier. The girl ran as fast as her legs could take her and sprinted on to the beach to only one destination: the lifeguard tower. All she could think of was how she had nagged at Ricky to drink more water throughout the day and how he would tap her nose in response, never taking her seriously. Nini could only recall the number of times she told him to sleep earlier and hang up on his calls with her, or go home to sleep earlier but he would refuse, telling her all he wanted was to spend time with her. The strap of her top had fallen down her shoulder as she made her way to the beach, but she couldn’t care less. She needed to get to Ricky.

As she approached the tower, she could hear EJ and Noah laughing about something; all she knew was her boyfriend fainting wasn’t something to laugh about, the girl huffed and puffed in anger, slamming the door of the tower open. Nini was met with the sight of the two guys holding on to Ricky’s phone, her boyfriend was nowhere in sight. The guys stared at her, mouths hanging ajar, clearly shocked and lost for words. “Well, I did not expect you to come here,” Noah started off, looking at the force of the tiny brunette girl standing in the doorway. She frowned at his statement, asking, “Where’s Ricky? Is he okay? Did Red send him to the hospital?” EJ stared at her with a stoic expression, casually spinning her boyfriend’s phone between his thumb and middle finger, “Yea, he’s not here right now. But, he’s fine. You, dear girl, should go back to your cafe to do your job. What is Nate going to say when he finds out that you ran out during your shift?” Nini’s eyes flickered between Noah and EJ, genuinely confused at their calm demeanor; their colleague had just passed out, for goodness sake, and no one was worrying about him at all. “We’re lifeguards, Nini. We’ve seen tons of these types of things,” Noah seems to reach her mind, answering her unasked question.

“Nins, what are you doing here?” The girl’s head whipped around to find Red at the bottom of the stairs, looking right back at her. “Where’s Ricky right now? Why are you here? Didn’t you send him to the hospital?” Red’s eyes widened in confusion, looking at EJ for some clarity in this situation. EJ shrugged, “For some reason, she thinks you took her boyfriend to the hospital.” Nini turned her attention back to EJ, “But, you said, he-” The Ken doll, as Ricky liked to call him, shook his head, cutting her off, “Nu-uh, you’re the one who thought so. I didn’t confirm that thought, okay?” She glared at him, continually wondering where Ricky was. “He’s on his way right now, don’t worry, Nini.” Red patted her shoulder and walked past her into the tower. At this point, Nini was getting anxious. Where the heck was Ricky and how could they have let him on his own, not even giving him his phone to bring along? She was spiralling in her thoughts, the guys could tell because she had stopped moving and talking; she was barely even breathing at that point, fists balled up, clenched so tightly, her knuckles turned white. They decided to leave her alone with her thoughts, keeping silent as they kept an eye on her. 

Meanwhile, Ricky was all on his own. He had a large carton of water hoisted up on his shoulder, letting out little grunts as he carried it back to the lifeguard tower. The very fact was that Ricky was absolutely fine, he was a little tired from carrying the weight on his own, but he was fine. No heat exhaustion, no fainting, no visit to the hospital. Ricky was fine. As he returned to the lifeguard tower, he saw a familiar back standing in the doorway. Her shoulders were tense and rigid, in stark contrast to her hair which flowed softly and freely in the ocean breeze. Ricky put the water carton down on the sand, figuring that he could get help bringing it into the tower later. Surprising his girl, who was here to surprise him, would be the perfect payback. “Hey, Nina, what are you doing here?” Nini squeaked, flinching at the arm that wrapped around her waist and the voice in her ear. She nearly pulled away but was met with the familiarity of his scent, finally recognising his voice and touch and immediately relaxed in his embrace. “What are you doing here? EJ and Noah said you fainted out of heat exhaustion?” Nini recalled the reason why she was even on the beach, cupping his face in her hands. She leaned into his chest, tucking her head under his chin, and whispered, “I was so worried that something really happened to you.” Ricky shot EJ and Noah a look, asking them what the heck was going on and they merely shrugged in response. Despite his confusion, he managed to return his focus on the girl in his arms, he kindly readjusted her spaghetti strap for her then stroked her hair with one hand, “Hey, don’t worry, I’m okay and I’m not going anywhere.” Ricky felt his shirt grow wet and immediately knew that she was crying. He tried to pull away from the hug so that they could go outside to talk but she only clung tighter to him. “Babe, come on, let’s go outside to talk, okay?” Ricky whispered to her, stroking small circles on her lower back to soothe her. 

He wiped the tears off her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes, “Were you really scared?” Nini just nodded, more tears rolling down her cheeks. Her eyes were so sad, Ricky felt apologetic that his friends had pranked her, causing her unnecessary distress and worry. He leaned down to kiss her fully on the lips, an attempt to show her that he was really fine and calm her down. She reciprocated, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt to pull him closer to her. It was Nini who pulled away first, mumbling a “You’re on duty right now, we shouldn’t be doing this.” His heart soared, realising the care she had for him even though she was distressed and sad. “I love you, okay?” He held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, thumb stroking the back of her palm lovingly. She squeezed his hand lightly, “I love you too.” A few more tears escaped her eyes and she wiped them away as quickly as they’d come out. Ricky’s thumbs ghosted over her tear-stained cheeks, “Hey, I was supposed to help you with that.” He playfully pinched her cheek, earning a giggle and smile on her face. “There’s your pretty smile.” Nini’s smile grew as she swung their interlocked hands back and forth. The couple loitered at the beach for a few more minutes before Ricky walked her back to the cafe. She really had to get back to work, now that the emergency she’d left for was just a scam. “I’ll see you after work?” She pulled away from their goodbye kiss, a hand on his chest. He nodded and pulled her chin for another kiss, “Come over and we’ll drive back to mine?” Nini whispered an  _ okay _ , pushing him away from her slightly, so that he would go back to his job. Rickly jogged back to the beach, wishing that the day would quickly end already.

Nini texted Ricky to say that she would meet him in the parking lot, but he said he needed to help with the closing that evening and she should wait for him in the tower. She wasn’t in the mood to see EJ or Noah, or anyone who thought that joking about Ricky’s health was funny but she also wasn’t in the mood to stand in the parking lot, waiting indefinitely; so, she headed to the beach, sunglasses on to hide the slight puffiness from the tears earlier. Ricky was talking with EJ and Noah when Nini made her way to the lifeguard tower. He handed the hose to EJ and went up to greet her with a kiss, stroking her stomach lightly, “How’s my Nina feeling?” Ricky wrapped her in a tight hug and she squealed lightly as her legs lifted off the ground. There was a playful glint in his eyes and Nini smirked, she loved seeing him so happy. “Get over here, Bowen. Stop sticking to your girlfriend and do your work, please.” EJ stood with the hose in his hand, gesturing for Ricky to take it back. The curly-haired boy slung his arm around Nini’s shoulder and shook his head no. “If you can play a prank on my girlfriend, then you can wash the jetski on your own, Caswell. I don’t know how you found it in you to play a prank on her, you stressed my baby.” EJ’s jaw dropped to the sea bed, “Wait, baby as in you’re pregnant, Nins?” She just gave him a blank stare, neither acknowledging nor refuting the question. Noah took it as a yes, slapping EJ’s chest, “Dude, this is why I said that pranking Nini was a bad idea-” The guys continued to bicker, pushing the blame back and forth, unwilling to take the blame for stressing the  _ baby _ . The couple took this opportunity to get away from the beach, hand in hand as they walked to the parking lot. 

“Really, baby?” Nini asked as Ricky pulled out of the parking lot, heading on to the main road back to his apartment, “That’s not something that you should joke about, Ricky.” He placed his hand on her thigh, rubbing her skin softly, “I didn’t joke about you being pregnant, Nina. You were distressed by their prank, weren’t you?” Nini knew what was coming next, “And, I’m your baby, so what’s wrong with telling them that they stressed your baby, right?” She let out a sigh, “But, you didn’t correct them either, when they misunderstood that we were having a baby.” Ricky didn’t need to look at her to know but he interlaced his hand with her to keep her from picking her skin, “I was just giving them a taste of their own medicine, Nina. You gotta admit that Noah’s mouth opened so big that a fly would have flown down his throat,” He laughed a little, recalling the epic sight. Nini sighed again, her gaze turning to the view outside the window. Ricky knew then that she was angry and stroked the back of her palm with his thumb, “Sorry, Nins. I know how you feel about children, and I shouldn’t have let them think that way.” She continued to look out of the window, still upset at Ricky. He pulled up on the road shoulder of the highway, finally catching her attention, “What are you doing, Ricky?” He looked her in the eyes, a hand holding the back of her seat, “Nina, please. I’m really sorry that I was driven by revenge and made a bad joke that shouldn’t have been conceived in my mind. Please don’t be angry anymore.” Nini sighed once again, and told him to let them know that it wasn’t real; she crossed her arms and looked out of the window again. “Can you please take me home instead?” Ricky didn’t know if she really had forgiven him but he drove back onto the highway, making their way to his apartment. A smile grew on his face when she’d played the playlist he had created for them, finally knowing that she wasn’t angry at him anymore. 

Ricky kept his arm around Nini as they walked from the car to his apartment, hoping that their proximity would help her feel better about today’s events. She shimmied out of his embrace to go to the bathroom, grabbing one of his shirts to change into, while he went over to the microwave to make some popcorn. “Ricky,” a small voice came from the bathroom. He dashed over to his girlfriend, the popcorn long forgotten. “Could you help me grab my tampon bag?” She avoided his eyes as she sat on the toilet bowl, a little embarrassed about the situation. Ricky smiled, handing her the bag and waited patiently till she was done. Nini hadn’t expected that he would have stayed outside the bathroom, and jumped a little when she was greeted by his strong figure when she meeky emerged. “Don’t be embarrassed, Nins. It’s natural that your period happens,” She leaned into his chest, unable to meet his face and tried to crack a joke, “At least now I know why I was feeling pissy the entire day. Sorry that I took it out on you.” He just pulled her into a warm hug, “You know I’m here for it all right? The pissy and the happy,” Nini scoffed, and hit his chest lightly, “I hate you.” He stalked off to the kitchen, just as the microwave beeped, “No, you don’t.” 

As they conformed to the shape of the couch and Nini’s legs were resting on top of Ricky’s, she tried shooting some popcorn into his mouth, failing miserably — the popped corns fell into his lap. “Were you really that worried earlier this afternoon?” She nodded, “Actually I was half-scared and half-angry. Scared that you weren’t okay; you don’t have family here, babe, isn’t it scary to be sick when no one is around to care for you?” Ricky pulled her close to him, “I have you, Nins.” She just shook her head, her gaze dropping to the bowl of popcorn on her lap, “It’s different. I’m not enough in these types of situations.” Ricky tried to lift her chin and make her look him in the eyes but she nudged her chin away. “Now for the part that I was angry. Will you please take care of yourself? Drink enough water, sleep a little earlier, take breaks and ice baths,” Nini held his hands in hers, pleading with him. He gave her a peck on the cheek, “I’ll do it for you.” The girl shook her head again, “Don’t do it for me, do it for you, Ricky, and your family.” 

“Why are you talking as if you’re going to break up with me, Nina?” He pulled his hands out of her grasp, bridging a hand to her chin, pulling her to look him in the eyes. “I’m not, but I’m just being realistic. We’re still young, who knows what might happen, what kind of people will we meet along the way? What if we don’t work out and you end up finding someone else? So, take care of yourself for you, not for me or any other girl. Your future wife deserves that much.” Her period hormones were really getting to her; it was completely out of character for the Roberts girl, she was usually more rough on the edges than sentimental. “Nina, I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road either. But, right now, in this moment, you’re it for me. If it doesn’t work out along the way, if we don’t end up together in the end, it doesn’t matter if we did our best in the time we  _ were _ together. I’ve learnt so much from you and I wanna continue enjoying what we have until it’s no longer ours,” Ricky caressed her head and combed his fingers through her hair, “You’re enough for me now, don’t let anyone or your hormones tell you otherwise.” He tapped her nose lightly, his teasing earned a smile from her. Nini squealed as he pulled her into his lap, melting as his lips moved against hers. They pulled away when they were out of breath, and she laughed against his lips as she teased him, “You know you’re not getting any tonight, right?” Ricky just smirked, pulling her down to kiss her once more, “That doesn’t mean I can’t kiss you.”

Nini made her boyfriend sleep early that night, telling him to get the rest he needed and if they were lucky, they had their whole lives to spend with each other. Not wanting her to worry, he obliged, tucking them under the covers snuggly. She took another photo of him sleeping, adding it to her collection, and changed his wallpaper once again. Everything felt normal again after the day’s emotional turmoil. Who knew that Nini would have found her safe space with the town’s new lifeguard? She sure didn’t, but she was glad that she did. It was enough for her, for now. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Nini was 21 and Ricky was 23 when they had decided that they were going to get married. It had been three years since they were dating and the couple felt like it was the right time to settle down together. Of course, their three years weren’t all rainbows and unicorns, they’d disagreed about many things: when Ricky should go back to Oahu and if Nini should go with him, whether he should move in with the Roberts so that he could save on rental; these were the more significant ones. As two young and attractive people on an island in abundance of tourists, it was not uncommon that both were hit on by others countless times, each situation garnering varying degrees of jealousy from their significant other — most of the time, it wasn’t a big deal, just teasing the other about how many people had hit on them. But, there was one time that one of Nini’s coworkers had made advances on her despite knowing she was attached. She hadn’t picked up on the signals, believing that he was just a very nice guy. Ricky had tried to tell her but she ignored his warnings, and continued to be nice to the guy until one day he had asked her out. Nini had apologised profusely to Ricky, he’d been right all along; Ricky then admitted that he’d been sized up by the guy quite a few times, he decided against telling her for fear that she wouldn’t believe him. Just normal things that couples fight about, Nini and Ricky weren’t immune to any of those. 

One night, the both of them were lying down in Nini’s bed, just talking about Ricky’s financial planning — It had been six months since he had decided to take up Mr Roberts’ offer to move in with them, and managed to save a ton of money off rent. This was the first time that he was able to save up a significant amount and he was determined to put it to good use. Nini was propped up on her elbows, while Ricky was lying down, his head on the pillow. They shared a moment of silence until he turned over on his side, a hand caressing her back, “I’ve thought about it, and you’re right, going back to Oahu will be good for me.” A smile grew on Nini’s face, glad that he had given her words thought. It had been months since she’d told him that he needed to go back to Oahu and that Kauai was holding him back. She had said that she was the only reason why he refused to go back, and he had refused to admit it, giving a lame excuse that he had friends in Kauai (not many, just his lifeguard crew) and other things (nothing really, except the Roberts). He also argued that he wasn’t financially ready for Oahu, the island was significantly more expensive than Kauai; then, he said that she hadn’t counted the cost and they weren’t ready for it. Emma intercepted their conversation, the older couple took time to talk with them one-on-one and they hadn’t broached the topic since. “I’m coming with!” Ricky’s hand ran up and down her back, “I don’t want to take you away from your family, Nins. You love them and they love you.” Nini leaned down to give him a kiss, “And, I love you. I want that for us too, a family that we grow with love.” He pulled her in for a deeper kiss, “Are you saying you want to marry me?” The girl managed a breathy whisper, “Yeah, I do.” Ricky flipped them over so he was above her and leaned in to kiss her once more, “You know it’s going to be hard right? With the kinds of jobs that we have and the cost of living in Oahu?” He wanted to prepare her for the worse, giving her a chance to wiggle out of what she might have unknowingly signed up for. “Ricky, we’ve talked about this before. I’m ready to rough it out with you,” She then revealed that she had a whole plan for their future in Oahu; she even got up from the bed to bring her laptop over to show him the spreadsheet she had created. It was titled  _ Bowens to Oahu _ and there were several sheets in the file namely:  _ House, Renovation, Groceries, Travel, Car, Children,  _ and _ School. _ Not all the calculations were done, but it was something; Ricky was amazed at the work that she’d done, impressed that she had taken his words to count the cost seriously. “You are really something, Nina, I wouldn’t want to marry anyone else.” He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. She snuggled into him, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Ricky had talked with Mr Roberts and Nate about taking the Roberts’ girl’s hand in marriage and they were more than happy to give her away. Ever since their one year anniversary, Mr Roberts had given them his blessings, telling the younger guy that if his daughter were to marry anyone, it would be the Bowen boy. Upon receiving Nini’s dad’s blessings, he decided that he needed to solidify everything with a ring. With Emma’s help, he managed to find a pretty one within his budget - there weren’t any diamonds, he hoped that Nini would be okay with it, Emma said she would be. He ordered the ring in her size; of course he knew her size, she loved to announce every now and then that she was a size 6 and it was ready within the week. One whole week after the couple had talked about moving to Oahu, as they were hanging out as usual at the docks, Ricky thought it was time to give her the ring. He fiddled with the box in his shorts pocket, waiting for  _ the _ absolute right time to take it out and get down on one knee. However, Nini beat him to it. She took a little box out of her sling bag and handed it to him. “Is this what I think it is?” Ricky nudged her teasingly and she almost snatched it back, if only he hadn’t dodged her. It was a silver ring with a dark wood inlay and a carving inside,  _ Nina Bowen _ . He quickly slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand, pleasantly unsurprised that it was a fit — Nini had taken his ring measurements before, and they’d joked about her proposing to him. “Thank you love, it looks really good.” She ran her thumb over the wood inlay, “Now, the girls at the beach will seriously know that you’re taken and stop hitting on you.” He kissed her cheek, knowing that they could only wish that they would stop bothering him, “Let’s just hope that they get the hint.” Ricky then took a small box out of his surfer shorts pocket, “Now it’s my turn.” He opened up the box and showed it to her; it was a simple silver band with a pale blue aquamarine stone in the middle. Nini snatched the box away from Ricky, “Oh my gosh, it’s really pretty, thank you so much!” He leaned over to give her a kiss on the lips, distracting her as he eased the box out of her hands, “Come on, let me put it on for you.” He decided to forgo the kneeling, deciding that it wasn’t their cliche. As she examined the stone closer, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried that she would be disappointed that it wasn’t a diamond. “I know it’s not a diamond,” He tried to explain himself but Nini interrupted him with a kiss, not wanting to hear whatever self-deprecating thing Ricky had to say about himself. “I love the ring, and who gives a shit if it’s not a diamond? Definitely not me.” He kissed her again, thankful that she was cool about it. They continued to talk about everything under the sun (or moon), but the girl could not take her eyes off the ring — her gaze fixed on the barely blue stone on the silver band. Ricky teased her, “Hey, stop looking at it, look at me.” The only way he could keep her attention was if he kept kissing her. He wasn’t complaining, he’d gladly kiss his  _ fiancee _ anytime, as much as she would him. 

The couple decided to move to Oahu by the end of the year, giving them a lead time of eight months to get packed and planned. Mr Roberts walked Ricky through some of the things they had to consider and work out as a couple, and even helped him with financial planning. Together, the men had decided that it was most economical to stay with Ricky’s parents, just like Nate and Emma were doing with the Roberts, so that they could save up for kids and travelling. When the curly-haired boy brought it up to his  _ fiancee _ , she was rather hesitant. Of course, as newlyweds, they would prefer a house for themselves so that they could be intimate and enjoy the two of them. But, after giving it much thought, she agreed with the idea, deciding that it was a much more stable option. Then came the planning of the wedding. They first had to deliberate which island to hold the wedding on, Ricky insisting on Kauai, while Nini wanted it to be at Oahu. Mrs Roberts had stepped in to side with Nini, telling her future son-in-law that they had family living in Oahu too, so it would be less of an inconvenience for everyone. Ricky’s grandparents had offered their backyard for the wedding, telling the young ones to save on venue rental; the couple more than thankful for their thoughtfulness, taking up the offer as an excuse for a smaller wedding — neither of them were too keen on a wedding as big as Nate’s and Emma’s. Seb and Carlos took charge of the catering while Ricky’s lifeguard friends in Oahu volunteered to settle the heavy lifting and logistics. The timeline was decided quickly, they would move in November, two weeks before the wedding, giving themselves time to settle down and unpack. The wedding would be held in early December with their families and closest friends. Things were going smoothly, Nini had found her wedding dress and Ricky had found a suit, Red told them that he would take photos for their pre-wed shoot and the actual wedding. Obviously, Kourtney was going to do Nini’s makeup and hair and Gina took the lead for the decorations. They were more than ready for the wedding even months before the actual day. It was a little crazy how things were going so well, they were a little suspicious that something might crop up and ruin their plans. Something kind of did. 

There was a series of torrential rain the week leading up to their big day; each day, the couple would clasp their hands and pray that the rain would hold on their wedding day. Thankfully, it was only raining lightly the day before, giving them hope that the skies would be clear the next day. Nini had given Ricky the longest kiss ever before she went over to stay at his grandparents’ place for the night, it was the first moment they’d had together alone all week; their friends and parents had been bombarding them with activities and preparations, leaving them barely any time or energy to enjoy each other. “You better not turn up in flip flops tomorrow,” Nini warned her soon-to-be husband who had been complaining that his shoes might get ruined the next day because of the rain. Ricky shrugged casually, earning a slap from the brunette girl, and held his arms up in defense, “I can’t believe you really want to wear heels after the rain, babe. I really hope you don’t sink into the mud as we say our vows.” Nini just pouted, knowing it wasn’t realistic to wear heels in the grass after the rain. But, she wanted nice photos — her dress only reached her ankle bone, and she would look much shorter next to Ricky as well. The couple continued to talk while in each other’s arms for a while, Ricky sitting at the counter with his arm around Nini’s waist as she leaned into him. “I really hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we didn’t even set up a tentage,” She was filled with worry but he combed his hands through her hair, “We’ve got umbrellas ready for the guests and the forecast is looking up for us.” Nini just sighed once more as Ricky prodded her for a smile. The couple’s short thirty minutes of time alone was interrupted by Emma, who came to get Nini over to the Bowen grandparents’ house for the night. He pulled her into his lap for a sweet kiss before letting her go, the usual  _ good night, sleep well  _ wish forgotten from his lips; both of them weren’t going to get much sleep that night, he knew that much. Tomorrow was the day.

  
  


It rained heavily that night and it continued to pour till the sun came up. The front and backyard was pooling with water, the earth beneath the green of the grass was sloshy and muddy. There was no way that the ground would have dried even before that last rain, but the rain had made the situation way worse. Nini could only be thankful that her dress didn’t have a train, she couldn’t imagine the cost she would have incurred in dry cleaning. The bridal party had started to get ready from before the rain had stopped, the bride kept getting scolded by dear Kourtney for turning her head too many times to check the status of the weather. They had sprayed a crazy amount of spray on her hair and face so that nothing would budge in the wind and rain. But, they shouldn’t have worried, the sun came up and the grey skies were replaced by a beautiful light cloud cover. Things were looking up and going well. 

That was until Murphy’s Law came into play, at least for the groomsmen. Nini’s bridesmaids had seen a fun wedding culture online, and had organised a  _ gatecrash _ for the groomsmen. It was a funky idea of testing the groom’s ‘resolve’ and ‘commitment’ to the bride, making him and his groomsmen earn their way to the bride’s room. Ricky was completely clueless about this until he was barred from entering his grandparents’ house. “Ladies, this is not funny, I wanna see my beautiful wife right now.” Usually, he would have earned a chorus of  _ aww _ s but it wasn’t the case. The bridesmaid put the guys through a series of funny and torturous games, starting with having an empty tissue box strapped around their hips. They were given twenty seconds to shake the contents (they were ping pong balls) out. Nini watched from Gina’s Instagram Live, the girl was dedicated to filming everything down; she let out a giggle as she witnessed Ricky shake his bum in an attempt to empty the contents of the tissue box. One of the games was charades relay making them act out and guess facts about Nini, and there were others just physical things like push-ups and other endurance stuff that lifeguards could do. The groom was finally let in to see his bride after a grueling twenty minutes of activities and he was more than relieved. All the sweat and hassle was worth it when he saw her sitting on the bed, hands gathered around a bouquet of flowers and the veil over her head. Nini had a smile on her face and a flower crown in her hair, her lashes were perfectly curled and her tinted lips looked extremely kissable. “That was a cute booty shake you had right there, Richard,” She didn’t miss the chance to tease him and got up to imitate him, and Ricky patted her bum in response, “You’re not too bad yourself.” The girl pouted, he always won their teases, even up till their wedding day. He held her hand in his, but his eyes never strayed away from her. “You’ve seen me in this dress before, why do you still look so starry-eyed?” Nini blushed, realising that Ricky wouldn’t stop looking at her; she stroked his cheek with her free hand and he reached up to do the same, until he was blocked by her veil. “I really wish I could kiss you right now, but if anyone knew I unveiled you right now, I might not be able to get married today,” The sadness was evident in his eyes. She smiled and let out a little chuckle, “You have me all to yourself tonight, and every night from now on. Just be patient, babe.” Ricky leaned in to kiss her temple through the veil, careful to not ruin the fragile cloth, “You look so beautiful today, Nina, I can’t help it.” They were caught in the act by his mom, who came to call Ricky over to greet the guests. Nini squeezed his hand before letting it go, but he gripped her hand again, kissing the back of the palm before he exited the room. 

This was Nate’s first barefoot wedding ever; actually, it was everyone’s first barefoot wedding. The pooling was so bad that it didn’t make sense for anyone to keep their shoes on — since most, if not all, of them were Hawaiian locals, walking barefoot was second nature. Nini sat on the couch in the living room and was about to put her heels on when Gina forbade her to, “You wouldn’t be able to take a step in those, Nins.” As soon as her feet touched the grass, she was thankful that Gina was insistent; she damn near avoided face planting on her wedding day. As Nini held her dad’s arm and walked toward the altar, she saw the guests standing and clapping, with shouts and hollers; but most importantly, she saw Ricky waiting for her, his toes peeking out in the grass. When her dad handed her over to her soon-to-be husband, she just had to lean over for a little whisper, “So, I see you ended up ditching the shoes anyway.” Ricky smirked and leaned in to whisper back, “At least I’m not in flip flops.” She nudged him and wriggled her toes in the grass, earning a small laugh from Ricky, who immediately clamped his mouth shut after it came out more audible than he had intended for it to be. Aside from the muddy yard, everything went smoothly — they said their vows and exchanged their rings and then came the time where Ricky was able to lift her veil and kiss his bride. She looked at him with expectant eyes and he met her eagerly, arms around her waist as they shared a short and sweet kiss. The long, passionate one would have to wait for later. 

The reception went pretty well, Carlos and Seb received praises for finding a good caterer, despite the couple not having much time to eat. The couple went from table to table, talking with their guests and thanking them for coming, following the example of Nate and Emma. They managed a few bites of food and wine but that was mostly it. They had their first dance together, the second time in the day that they had time alone with each other. Making full use of the three minutes, they just stared into each other's eyes, foreheads leaning against each other, holding back from kissing the other. Ricky couldn’t take it any longer and dipped her, pressing a kiss on her lips and she reciprocated, moving her lips against his. The cheers and hollers reminded them that they weren’t alone and the couple quickly pulled away and separated from each other, to dance with other people. Each time Ricky and Nini came back to each other, he would subtly caress her bum, squeezing it ever so occasionally and she would kiss his jawline — this kept them going through the night. The couple both teared as Nate and Nic gave their speeches, wishing the couple well and telling Ricky they knew he would take good care of their sister. It was a rather tearful speech time, especially when Nate reminded her that she wouldn’t wake up in the same house as him anymore, she would be in Oahu and he would be in Kauai. Ricky kissed his wife’s head as Nate spoke lovingly to them, his hand on her back keeping her grounded and the tears from falling.

The time came where they were finally back at their room in Seb’s villa, he had offered them their honeymoon room to spend their first night as a married couple. Ricky immediately engulfed Nini in a backhug, kissing her neck and shoulders as she removed the pins in her hair. There weren’t that many with her half up half down hairstyle but Ricky helped anyway. He would do anything to hasten the process that led her to relax and chill with him. He offered to shower with her but she objected, telling him she would meet him out at the pool when she was down washing up. The curly-haired boy sat in the warm jacuzzi tub and relaxed against the wall as the pressured water pounded against his back. Nini’s hair was in a bun and she was clad in the cute bikini set from when he had first seen her on the beach. She slid into the tub next to him, letting out a moan as her body loosened up with the warmth of the water. Ricky watched her as her eyes were closed, enjoying the rejuvenation, “Wife.” Nini turned to look at him when she heard the word escape his lips.  _ Oh shit, I said that out loud. _ Her gaze was so intense and he couldn’t help but lean in to kiss her, the passion and fire he held back earlier pouring forth. Her body was light in the water as he pulled her into his lap. She pressed her body close to his, hooking her legs around his waist. Ricky was kissing the skin on her neck when he felt her body tremble gently; he immediately stopped and cupped her cheeks to see tears streaming down her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Nini shook her head, reluctant to talk about it but he didn’t budge, urging her to tell him what she was crying about. “It kind of just hit me that I wouldn’t be seeing Nate and Emma and my parents anymore. I hadn’t given much thought about it before this.” Ricky wiped her tears away and kissed her, “I know they will miss you too. We can always visit, remember? It’s not the same but we’ll get used to it together. Okay?” 

Nini captured his lips with hers, the reality of Ricky being her husband sinking in deeper. His hands ran up and down her body, distracting her thoughts from her family to the man she was straddling. He was kissing her collarbone and she let a moan escape her lips as her fingers played with his curls. She ducked down, tugging his face up to connect his lips with hers once more. Nini rolled her hips against his, creating some friction between them and smiled when she could feel his arousal against her core.

“Make love to me, husband,” She whispered into his ear. 

“Gladly, wife.”

They made their way back to their room, Nini wrapped around Ricky as he carried her back to their bed, lips attached to one part of her body at any point of time. He settled his wife on top of the couch opposite the bed, not wanting to make the place they were going to sleep wet (they hadn’t dried off from the jacuzzi). She shot him a knowing smile and tugged him by the neck to kiss her lips. Their fatigue from the long day was forgotten as they got lost in each other, getting to know the other for the first time as husband and wife.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“Good morning, Nina,” Ricky greeted as his wife stretched out on the bed, her eyes were still closed but she shot an air kiss in the direction of his voice. The curly haired guy whipped out his phone to take a photo of Nini and she let out a whine, “Don’t you dare set that as your wallpaper.” He locked his phone, sliding it back into his surf shorts pocket and inched closer to the bed to kiss Nini. “Of course not, I’m not about to show anyone what you look like after waking up from a hot night of sex,” Ricky earned a slap to his stomach, but he didn’t care, his hands wandering up and down her unclothed body. It had been slightly more than a month since they had gotten married and it still felt like a dream. They were living a completely different life from when they lived in Oahu; things weren’t much different for Ricky, he was still lifeguarding but now at the Pipeline at Ehukai Beach, one of the most dangerous beaches during the winter. Nini, however, was working a few very different jobs from her usual cafe staffing and acoustic gigs — she taught surfing on the North Shore in the mornings then worked at a surfboard shop nearby, designing artisanal, one-of-a-kind types of surfboards for rich tourists. She had two gigs a week, on Fridays and Sundays; those nights, Ricky would wait tables at the same bar and they would go home together after on their motorcycle. The bike was Nini’s idea, it was a lot cheaper than a car and for the time being, enough for the both of them. They revelled in the proximity they shared because of the bike as well, a forced yet enjoyable form of intimacy that helped strengthen their bond. Other than their jobs and their mode of transport, the people they were living with were completely different. Ricky’s extended family was much more tightly knit than Nini’s — they went over to his grandparents’ house for dinner twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to meet with the rest of the Bowens over the weekend. The rest of the three nights left in the week, they spent with Ricky’s parents. The house was rather quiet, there was no Nate yelling every five minutes or Nic who’d get everyone to go surfing, there was no game night either. But then again, it was the f month since their lives had taken a 180º turn, they’d just been holding each other as they adapted to the changes together. 

It was a Wednesday night that they were taking a walk along the North Shore, Ricky held onto Nini’s left hand, he could feel the cool metal of both her rings on her ring finger, “What’s it like, to finally be in a place where people haven’t watched you grow up?” She smiled at his question, thoughts clouding her brain, “It’s really fascinating actually, Tim probably would have told you that I’ve been introducing myself as Nini Bowen,” He nodded his head, a smile crept up his lips because he just loved the way his family name sounded with her name, “Instead of people going  _ oh you’re a Roberts _ , now they go  _ oh you’re the new Bowen daughter-in-law _ . It’s kinda freaky that they knew we just got married but I guess it’d be the same in Kauai.” They then began talking about the frequently asked questions they’ve received in the past month, ranking in the top two were the questions of  _ how did they know that their marriage would last _ and  _ when they were going to have children _ . “You’re only 21, for goodness sake. It’s not that we don’t want children but it’s only been a month. People really got to chill.” Nini leaned in to kiss his cheek firmly, “We don’t have to care about what people think of us, you know? And, you’re a Bowen-” Ricky interrupted her, “ _ We _ are Bowens.” She smiled as he stroked the skin on her waist lightly, “Yes, we’re Bowens, and we will always be tied to what people think our families should do and say.” Being able to trudge through other people’s scrutiny together meant more than they thought it would. Ricky’s initial thoughts of not letting Nini go with him to Oahu tossed out the window, he knew he couldn’t have done any of it without her — that’s how he knew that their marriage would last. 

They spent their birthdays for the first time as a married couple with a short trip to Maui, taking Friday and the weekend off to visit some friends who moved over to that island. It was the first time they had a whole apartment rented for themselves, no parents they had to be polite and quiet around. The couple had joined their friends for dinner and drinks on their first night but soon chose to forgo the nights out, deciding that they wanted to take advantage of the privacy they had in the apartment to freely be intimate with each other. Ricky would wake up early to keep up with his fitness regime and Nini would wake up to the sound of him in the shower, some things just never changed. It had been the first time since they were in Kauai that they had the whole day to themselves, to surf and explore the island. They had rented a motorcycle, the same one they owned in Oahu to ride and explore the Road to Hana, snapping up pictures of the beautiful scenery. Nini changed her lock screen wallpaper that day, having managed to snap a shot of Ricky's broad, toned back as he leaned against the motorcycle; she’d kissed him hard after making sure she got the perfect photo, unable to resist the attractiveness of her husband. On the last day of the trip, they were picnicking at Keawakapu as they watched the sunset in the evening. The couple was wrapped up in each other, Nini sat in Ricky’s lap, sharing his body heat even though the air wasn’t cold. A random teen on the beach had taken a photo of them, squealing that they were  _ couple goals _ and she airdropped them the photos — Ricky immediately changed his home screen wallpaper, thanking the girl. His wife pinned him down on the mat, straddled him, leaning down to kiss him but he pushed her shoulders slightly, “Babe, I thought you cared about if there were kids on the beach?” Nini huffed some air into his face in protest, rolling her hips against her husband’s in support of her argument, “No one knows us here, we aren’t a  _ Roberts  _ or  _ Bowen _ right now. Let’s make the most of it.” Gone were the days they’d make fun of couples who were intimate on the beach without a care in the world, they had become them. 

It was soon their first anniversary as husband and wife. It was nothing really special, they both had work that day and couldn’t afford to take the day-off because of the growing amounts of tourists on the island. Nowhere would have been fun anyway, it would have been way too crowded. Ricky had got off his shift and hurried home to make her dinner with one of the recipes that Emma had sent him, asking one of his lifeguard buddies to help pick her up from work instead. It was a sure giveaway that he was planning something but it was better than leaving her to walk home alone in the dark — he would never let that happen, ever. She back-hugged him when she walked into the kitchen, following the familiar smell of garlic and butter, “Wow, look who’s domesticated.” Ricky turned around quickly, giving her a garlicky kiss, “Happy anniversary, Nina.” She cringed at the pungent smell, “Happy anniversary, smelly boy.” “Don’t mock me, Nina, I’m going to get you on my level,” He retaliated, shoving her a cup of lemon water for old times sake, eliciting a laugh from her. Nini helped to set the table as Ricky plated the shrimps and fish as nicely as he could, he told her that art should not be rushed and insisted that plating was completely necessary, it was a  _ fancy _ dinner after all. His parents had made themselves scarce, going over to a friend’s house for dinner and drinks, so Ricky and Nini were able to enjoy a nice dinner together in the comfort of their home — they perpendicular to each other though, opposite was too far away. She constantly held his hand with her free one, stroking the back of his palm every now and then, expressing her gratitude toward him; he would smile and kiss her cheek when they made eye contact. “You know, ever since we’ve got married we’ve become one of those couples that kiss at every moment they’re together and it’s kinda gross when I think about it,” Nini voiced her thoughts, popping a shrimp into her mouth. “Hey, don’t talk with you mouthful, baby,” Her husband teased her, evading the topic at hand; she stuck her tongue out at him in response and this fueled him to poke her even further, “So you’re saying it’s gross when I kiss you all the time and you want me to do it less?” By this time, Nini had a full-on pout on her lips, which were begging to be kissed and so, Ricky leaned in to peck her lips lightly, a smile forming on her face once again. “You said we don’t have to care about what other people think about us so let’s not care. And, who knows how long more we get to do this before we get so busy and tired that we can’t anymore?” Ricky reminded her of their eventual plans for kids. “Let’s seize the day, Nina, and do whatever we want.” She smirked at his smart reference to Nate’s cafe, pulling him in for another kiss. They loaded the dishwasher in true husband and wife fashion, with Nini rinsing off the plates and Ricky putting the dishes in. He borrowed his parents’ master bathroom to shower, letting Nini shower in their bathroom and when he returned to their room, he was pleasantly surprised with the sight of his wife lying on her side in their bed, in a black see-through nightgown. “Gina come through for my birthday once again,” She answered his unasked question. It was needless to say that it was another hot night for the newly wed Bowens. 

For the first time, Nini spent Christmas with the Bowens. The end-of-year affair was just as extravagant as she remembered the Bowen grandparents’ anniversary to be; throngs of Bowen relatives filled the house, each with their own thing to say to the couple about their marriage. They received mostly blessings and wishes to have children soon, as well as their fair share of skepticism of their young age and how long their  _ puppy love _ would last. Nini could tell that Ricky was a little affected by their remarks and held a firm hand on his lower back for assurance that she was with him. Some made comments about how they would make great parents after seeing them play with the little nieces and nephews, while others continued to highlight the flaw in their young age, saying that the couple would know nothing about parenting. Grandad had pulled the two of them aside and talked with them about their plans for children; despite seeing him twice a week, it was a topic they never broached simply because they were still in the honeymoon phase of marriage. He seeked to understand their parenting plans and dished out some advice for handling extremely naughty boys, making a slight jab at Ricky. The couple were unfazed, listening intently as absorbing every detail the older man shared. While talking to him, Nini actually became more excited to have children, and the thought of Grandad holding their children in his arms, teaching and nurturing them made her heart skip a beat. When they got home, she shared this feeling she had with her husband, “Should we not wait any longer?” Ricky held her tiny waist tightly, “You really wanna start trying for kids now?” She bit her lip nervously but nodded firmly, it was scary but they were ready.

She first suspected that she was pregnant after realising she had missed her period for two months in a row. The couple had stocked up on pregnancy kits when they had first decided to try for kids so Nini whipped out one kit, peed on the stick, set the timer and waited. Her husband was out on a grocery errand after his run, taking much longer than usual to be back. Nini hadn’t known this and peeked her head out of her room, asking Mrs Bowen if she knew where Ricky was. This stirred some anxiety in the older lady, as she noticed her daughter-in-law was still in her pajamas, hair messy, unlike her usual state of getting ready for work — she called her son to forget the eggs and hurry back to check on his wife, to which he responded with a curt  _ okay _ , running back home as quick as he could. The timer on Nini’s phone went off, startling her from her daydream. Knowing that Ricky would be taking a while before he was back, she couldn’t help herself but reach out to the stick beside her on the counter, taking a look at the result. Two lines. It was all that mattered. Their first baby was growing inside of her, Nini’s heart soared. The clattering of the door pulled her out of her daydreams again, as Ricky barged into the bathroom, panting with an anxious expression on his face. Before he could utter the words  _ Are you okay, Nina _ , she raised the stick with a small smile on her face and waved it at him. “I’m pregnant with your baby, Mr Bowen.” Ricky bent down gently to embrace his wife, speechless except the words  _ Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh _ . Nini wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, “We are going to be parents, babe.” Their first ultrasound and gynaecologist appointment was arranged to be on the first Saturday that Ricky had an off-day after they discovered the news. The couple decided to hold back on telling everyone until Nini had gotten past her first trimester, Emma’s miscarriage last year left some scars on Nini. They were about 12 weeks along at the first appointment, the doctor telling them the fetus was developing well, its heartbeat rapid, loud and stable. The new mother clutched the printout of their ultrasound tightly, putting it into her bag when they got onto the motorcycle to ride home, butterflies in her stomach at the impending good news. The couple got scolded upon the first release of the news to their parents, after both sets of parents asked if they really did ride the motorcycle to and fro the hospital; when the news finally sunk in, the Roberts cried tears of joy for her daughter and the Bowens hugged the younger ones tight. Nate and Nic screamed as loud as they could when they found out their little sister was pregnant, Nic going “what the hell Nins, I’m not even married yet and you’re going to have a baby?” Ricky’s grandparents were overjoyed too, particularly Grandad who reaffirmed the couple that they would make good parents. 

It was a rather easy pregnancy, Nini had her morning sickness moments and off days but it was overall bearable. The thought of a baby growing inside of her made all the symptoms worth it. At the 20 week mark, she’d gone to the gynaecologist to find out the sex of her baby without Ricky; he was on duty but she didn’t want to wait another week to find out. The doctor moved the equipment around on her sizable bump, the cool gel spreading over her skin. “Congratulations Nina, you have a baby girl.” A tear escaped Nini’s eye as she looked at the moving image, unable to comprehend how a life was growing inside of her. As she walked to the car, she kept one hand on the bump as she held the picture of the ultrasound in the other. She smiled as she felt little movements from her girl and couldn’t help but whisper to the baby, “Grow well, little girl.” Nini hopped into the car with one destination in mind and drove there in no time. The pregnant lady felt the warmth of the sand in her feet as she walked on the beach, in search of her husband. One of the lifeguards noticed her and gave her a heads up that Ricky was on a rescue, kindly offering for her to sit in the lifeguard tower to wait for him. The sun was really hot so she took up his offer, greeting the other two lifeguards who were sitting in the tower. She settled on a chair in the back of the small room, hands fidgeting with the ultrasound printout, wondering how Ricky would react to the news. Knowing that Ricky had wanted a boy for his first child, she didn’t know if he would be disappointed that they would be having a girl; many scenarios played in her head as she thought of how to break the news to her husband. The curly-haired lifeguard was walking about when he’d received a call on his walkie talkie, “Ricky to the tower please. Your wife’s here to see you.” Nini met him on the sand right next to the tower, and he peppered kisses on her face, delighted to see her and his baby. “How’s my baby doing?” Ricky rubbed her belly and had a hand firm on her back. She smirked at him and teased, “Which baby are you talking about?” He laughed, leaning in to kiss her, “How are you feeling today?” She told him that she was less queasy today, talked about what she had for breakfast and the pilates workout she did that morning and finished off smartly, “She wouldn’t stay still when I was driving over today.” “Aw, baby, be good for your momma, please,” Ricky hadn’t registered the  _ she _ in Nini’s sentence so she prodded him along, “Training her to be a daddy’s little girl already?” His jaw dropped so low, a fly would have flown into his mouth; he wrapped his arms around his wife, “Oh my gosh, we’re having a girl.” Nini could hear the happiness in his voice, partially relieved yet confused, “I thought you wanted a boy, Bowen?” He combed his fingers through her hair, “I just want a family with you, Nina.” She snuggled into his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. They were going to have a family. 

Their family fell short of one, the oldest Bowen passed away when Nini was in her 36th week. It happened suddenly, Grandad was doing his early morning grocery runs when he’d collapsed in one of the aisles. He was rushed to the hospital, the family notified just before Ricky had left the house for work. Mr Bowen had rushed the family to the hospital immediately, driving them as fast and safe as he possibly could. The old man was linked up in tubes and put on a ventilator by the time they got to the ICU, the doctor told them that both sides of his brain were bleeding and to prepare for the worst. Ricky’s legs had failed him, the boy collapsing into a chair in the waiting room, Nini’s hand intertwined with his as her thumb stroked the back of his palm. She knew that they both were thinking the same thing: What if he never got to see their daughter being born? The couple had given the old man the honour of naming their daughter and just last week, he’d decided on the name  _ Stephanie _ ; the great-grandparents had begun calling her Stephie Bowen and it was the cutest thing to the young couple. As they stared at his figure laying still on the hospital bed processing everything the doctors had told them, they knew that Stephanie would not be able to get to know the man that named her. Ricky gripped his wife’s hand tight, finding comfort in the chaos — it felt like time would not wait for them, one moment they were camping in the hospital and the next, they were planning the funeral. Nini wore a long white skirt and an orange top, Ricky dressed in the same colours; orange was his Grandad’s favourite colour, after all. They donned ti leaf leis as they watched the oldest Bowen son scatter his ashes in the sea, soft music playing in the background. The curly haired boy rested his head on Nini’s and she kept her grip on his hand strong as tears rolled down his cheeks. For a few days, Ricky had found himself wrapped up in his wife’s arms as he cried himself to sleep; she would run her fingers through his hair and massage his scalp gently as he aired his sadness but she would never let herself shed more than a few tears. She wanted to be strong for him. A week later, it was Nini’s turn to be rushed to the hospital. The couple had been lying down on the bed facetiming their nephews in Kauai when she had gone into labour, her contractions becoming more and more frequent. The next day, they met Stephanie Bowen, a red wrinkly blob they called their daughter. 

Overwhelmed by the events that happened in the past two weeks, Nini couldn’t sleep. Her daughter was sleeping soundly in the crib and her husband out like a light after putting Stephie to bed. Nini lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling at a loss of how to feel. She was still sad about the loss of Grandad, it was like she hadn’t processed that he had really departed from them. She was happy to meet her daughter after carrying her in the womb for almost nine months, Stephanie was a beautiful baby and the start of her own version of the Bowen family. They had to mourn together for the first time and celebrate the birth of their first child all in eight days. It was too much for her. Nini tossed and turned in bed, lost in thought as she went in a cycle of feeling guilty for not being sad then feeling guilty for not being happy and beating herself up for being unable to figure her feelings out. On the outside, Nini was doing well as a mom, caring for her daughter, feeding her whenever she needed a feed, whispering words of love. She was on top of everything, chores, laundry, and even work. The new mom didn't even realise that it was her coping mechanism for her complicated feelings; she occupied herself so that she wouldn’t be left alone in her emotional turmoil. But, at night, in bed, the wheels in her head wouldn’t stop turning and blaming herself for every little thing she did, or didn’t do. wrong. Ricky noticed that she hadn’t been sleeping and turned the bedside lamp on. “I can’t sleep, I haven't been sleeping.” She poured her heart out to her husband, telling him the trips and journeys her brain had taken her to the depths of the darkest valleys; her voice was shaky until her husband told her to cry it out. The tears flowed uncontrollably, soaking her pillow case but Ricky kissed her tenderly, wiping her cheeks slowly, quietly assuring her that she was doing the best she could. Nini fell asleep in his arms that night, a rare occurrence for a couple that never cuddled to sleep, but Ricky would do anything to make her feel better about herself even if that meant never letting her go. 

Stephanie was only one and a half when Nini found out she was pregnant again. “Momma,” The toddler lunged at her mother when she came to pick her up from her grandparents’ and Nana’s house. Yes, Ricky parents’ had moved in with Grandma Bowen a month after Stephie was born, wanting to accompany the old lady and make sure she wasn’t alone. Ricky was right behind Nini and smiled at his favourite girls in the world, his train of thought broken when his daughter called out to him, “Pappa!” He threw her into the air and she squealed, earning a  _ be careful with my granddaughter, Richard Bowen _ from his own father; he’d laughed at how his dad was a sucker for Stephie, but he wouldn’t blame him — she was absolutely beautiful. The little girl was dead asleep in her cot as her parents spoke in low voices in the kitchen. “You really think so, Nins?” Ricky pecked her lips, holding her waist securely. Nini shrugged, “I don’t know, I just dreamt of it last night and I got a weird feeling.” He waited outside the bathroom as she went to pee on the kit and they waited together with bated breath. They hadn’t thought that she would get pregnant this soon, they weren’t even planning on it but the thought of Stephanie having a sibling to play with made everything less burdensome. The timer beeped, Ricky flipped the stick over and they saw two lines in the circle. Nini began to feel the glory of morning sickness soon after, this time the nausea hitting her way harder than the last; she felt so terrible for a whole two weeks that even Stephanie could see the changes and cuddled up to her whenever she had the chance. “She’s so precious, baby. She’s been asking about you every morning when I dress her up to go over to Grandma’s.” Nini’s heart swelled as Ricky told her about Stephanie on their way to their first appointment with the gynaecologist. The sonographer spread the gel on Nini’s skin and moved the equipment around for imaging, and was having difficulty finding the baby. Nini’s hand gripped onto Ricky’s arm anxiously as he pressed his cheek into her hair. They were crushed, it didn’t go as they had hoped for it to. Their first miscarriage. Thinking about it made their heart sink, and it made Nini realise that contrary to her initial hesitation, she really wanted this baby. All this time her body had felt like it was carrying a baby, and now that it wasn’t, . It was another tough time for the couple, having to care for their daughter while mourning the loss of their unborn child. Stephanie would wake up in the middle of the night, wanting to join her parents in their bed; Nini would put her in between them and tears would spring to her eyes when she woke up to the sight of her little daughter tucked under her husband’s arm. Talking to each other and with other people, especially Nate and Emma, really helped their healing process; it took them a little while but they were finally ready again for another kid.

Five years later, the young Bowen family was back in Kauai to visit for Nini’s parents’ anniversary celebration. They could no longer fit in the Roberts house with all the children the three siblings had. Nate and Emma had gotten their own house in Poipu, near to the cafe, a big family with four boys and a girl. Nic and Sarah had gotten married and were staying with his parents, their twin boys occupying Nini’s old room. Ricky and Nini had rented their own BnB, to accommodate their girl and boy. It was a hectic weekend, the couple took turns to run their respective errands to prepare for the lunch party while the others babysat the whole tribe of kids: Nate and Emma took the first half of the morning to prepare all the food, Nic and Sarah set up the decorations, tables and chairs on the beach and Ricky and Nini were in charge of the actual run of the programme and live singing. The older couple’s friends and relatives started pouring in by half past twelve, bringing gifts and congratulations, often stopping to adore the grandchildren who were seated at the designated kids table. All Nini really remembered about the party was trying to get all the boys to sit still and cleaning up punch spills, she could only be thankful that the theme was navy (and white, but mostly navy). She took over the mic and dedicated a few songs to her parents, heart melting as her own children sat in Ricky’s lap watching her with wide-eyed wonder. Her husband had kissed her as she came down from the stage and helped to dismantle her keyboard setup while she had a glass of water. “No lemon this time?” She kissed him to thank him for his help, and took the time to throw in their old inside joke. He threw his head back in laughter, “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, mi lady, but it’s tap water.” Nini feigned shock, “Do you know how many impurities there are in tap water? I might die from drinking this.” Contrary to her words, she continued to sip the clear liquid to quench her thirst. Ricky just pinched her cheek playfully before they were interrupted by Emma who called Ricky over to help her with the boy tribe. 

Nate and Nic took this time to steal Nini away before she got swept up in the hurricane of children, relatives and family friends. The trio stood at a distance from the party, observing the interactions between people. “Oh my gosh Nate, Levi’s such a sweetheart.” Nini gushed at her oldest nephew who was helping his little sister blow bubbles as her short arms flapped around excitedly. Nic pointed out that Stephanie wasn’t too far along, playing patiently with her brother and twin cousins. The older Roberts men flanked their sister like twin towers, arms wrapped around her shoulders. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant again, Nins. Where did all the time go?” The youngest Roberts-Bowen had done a pregnancy test earlier that week just because Nate had  _ a feeling to buy her one _ and who knew that it would turn out positive. Having her brothers find out before Ricky did sort of felt like she was in high school and was caught in a teenage pregnancy — it didn’t matter that she was a mother of two or married for seven years, being around her brothers always made her feel young. They laughed when she told them that, and they reminisce about the old days when they were still dreaming of the families that they’d have. Nic told them that he was planning to take a sabbatical from surfing, while Nini and Nate lamented that they were living a status quo, although Nini’s status was about to change again. A loud cry from one of the twins broke their short sibling moment as Nic rushed to change Caleb’s diaper. The other two siblings found their way back to the kids table, Nate’s boys were playing frisbee while the girls sat on the sand with their dolls. Ricky received his wife with a kiss on the lips but she pulled away quickly, “Where’s Sam?” He stroked her cheek, telling her that he was sleeping in the stroller. Nini then pulled him in for another kiss, arms around his neck as his were wrapped tightly around her waist. “Had a good chat with your brothers?” She smiled when he showed he managed to take of them laughing and talking, as if Nini was 18 again, “I really missed them. I can’t believe that we’ve made such a big Roberts tribe with just the three of us.” Ricky hummed, acknowledging that nine kids was a crazy handful. “Make that ten, babe, you miscounted,” It was the perfect time to break the news to him. He insisted that he did the math right, spelling it out for her but she just gently put his hand over her belly, “And ten.” Ricky spun her around and kissed her after he put her down, Nini leaning into his body as her lips moved against his. 

“I’m glad I get to do life with you, Nina.” 

“I’m glad too, Ricky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the official end of this story!! thank you for being patient with me, i hope this journey was as enjoyable for you as it was for me!


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